Advisory Board Members

Bruce Alberts, PhD

A prominent biochemist with a strong commitment to the improvement of science and mathematics education, Bruce Alberts was awarded the National Medal of Science by President Barack Obama in 2014 and the 2016 Lasker-Koshland Special Achievement Award in Medical Science. Dr. Alberts served as Editor-in-Chief of Science (2009-2013) and as one of the first three United States Science Envoys (2009-2011). He is now the Chancellor’s Leadership Chair in Biochemistry and Biophysics for Science and Education at the University of California, San Francisco, to which he returned after serving two six-year terms as the president of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Alberts is also noted as one of the original authors of The Molecular Biology of the Cell, a preeminent textbook in the field now in its sixth edition.

As Advisory Board Chair, Dr. Alberts provides "Science in the Classroom" with strategic oversight and linkage to leaders of science education efforts.

Rebecca Vieyra

Rebecca Vieyra is the Coordinator of the Inter-American Teacher Education Network at the Organization of American States. Formerly, she served as the K-12 Program Manager at the American Association of Physics Teachers. She is a prior high school physics teacher from Illinois. She earned National Board Teacher Certification in AYA/Science-Physics in 2010, was selected as Presidential Awardee for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching in 2013, and served as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at NASA HQ in 2014-2015. Rebecca is currently a doctoral student at the University of Maryland in science education, and is passionate about educational technology and science literacy.

Sheri Klug Boonstra

Sheri Klug Boonstra is the Director of the Mars Education Program within Arizona State University’s School of Earth and Space Exploration and the Director of Strategic Partnerships for ASU’s Center for Education Through eXploration (ETX). She has worked on NASA mission teams and NASA education projects for the last two decades, connecting NASA exploration to immersive, authentic science opportunities for students. She has led the development of Next Generation Science Standards teaching materials for NASA and provided national professional development opportunities for educators to better enable STEM learning in their classrooms.

Ellie Rice

Ellie Rice teaches biology and general education courses at Franklin & Marshall College. She also directs the college's Quantitative & Science Center. Through her focus on science education, she has developed curriculum for HHMI Biointeractive  NPR’s Food for 9 Billion series, and many other projects.