College of Education Alum Megan Ennes ’19 Receives NARST Early Career Research Award

Megan Ennes ’19, a graduate of the NC State College of Education’s Ph.D. in Learning and Teaching STEM science education concentration, has been selected to receive the prestigious National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) Early Career Research Award.

NARST, a professional organization focused on improving science education through research, awards the Early Career Research Award each year to a scholar who demonstrates the greatest potential to make outstanding and continuing contributions to educational research. Criteria for the award include publications, conference participation, grant-funded activity and the focus of a scholar’s research agenda.

“Being selected to receive the NARST Early Career Research Award is incredibly meaningful to me. It feels affirming to have my work in informal science education recognized by a community of scholars I deeply respect,” Ennes said. “I see it as both a reflection on the work I have done so far and an encouragement to keep contributing to the field of science education in new ways. It is especially meaningful to be included among past recipients such as [Associate Professor] K.C. Busch. Receiving this award at this stage of my career is a culmination of several years of hard work that started at NC State.”

Ennes, who is the director and associate curator of museum education in the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida, received the NARST award not only in recognition of her work in supporting museum educators’ self-efficacy to teach science and the programs she has helped launch at the Florida Museum, but for work she engaged in while still enrolled in the College of Education. 

Her nomination letter highlighted the work she did with Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor of Science Education Gail Jones on how families and museums can work together to boost children’s interest in STEM; a focus that helped inform her dissertation work. 

“That was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever participated in. We got to see how learning together as a family can have a profound influence on all members of the family,” she said.

Ennes credits Jones, who was her advisor during her time in the College of Education, with not only encouraging her to enroll in the Ph.D. program, but with helping to set her on a career path that leveraged her skills and passions. 

During her time in the college, Ennes was able to serve as a teaching assistant, research assistant and assisted in writing grants—all of which, she said, helped prepare her to teach at the university level herself. Jones also brought Ennes to a National Science Foundation ITEST grant principal investigator meeting, where she had the opportunity to meet faculty from the University of Florida department which she eventually became a tenured faculty member of herself. 

“Without the College of Education and the amazing faculty within the STEM Education team, I would not be where I am today,” she said.