Award I Level II, the Outstanding Science Teacher Educator of the Year Award, recognizes the individual achievements and contributions of persons spanning more than ten years in their career service. This year's awardee for Award I Level II is Dr. Deborah Jo Tippins, Professor of Mathematics and Science Education, University of Georgia.

Dr. Deborah Jo Tippins is Professor of Mathematics and Science Education at the University of Georgia, where she has a particular interest in science for young children. A longtime member of ASTE, she has served two terms on its Board of Directors and participated in the initial Denver planning meeting to establish a mission and vision for the organization. For more than 20 years, Tippins has been involved in science teacher education and research across local, national and international contexts, and has served as the Director of Research for the National Science Teachers Association.

Her initial research focuses on reflective practice case-based teacher knowledge and culturally relevant pedagogy. After spending a year in the Philippines as a Fulbright Scholar her research interests expanded to include a concentration in community-centered science education and its relationship to citizen science and ecojustice. Drawing on sociocultural theories and methods from the anthropology of education, Dr. Tippins studies ways to "grow" science education from within communities. Dr. Tippins has published over 70 journal articles, 32 book chapters and six co-authored or co-edited books during the span of her career as a science teacher educator.