Dear ASTE members,
 
Nominations for this year’s elections are being accepted now through March 15, 2026. The ASTE Elections Committee would like to announce the call for nominations for the following elected positions that will be on the 2026 ballot (number of available positions in parentheses): 

• President-Elect (1)
• At-Large Board Members (2) 
  • NOTE: All At-Large Board Members are appointed to serve as chair/co-chair of an ASTE Committee. Upcoming vacancies include: Publications Committee Co-Chair and Conference Planning Committee Chair.
• Elections Committee Members (2)
• Graduate Student Board Member (1) 
  • Note: This individual will co-Chair the Membership & Participation Committee

The following information should be submitted while logged in through the ASTE website under the “Member Resources” dropdown menu (>> Elections & Nominations >> 2026 Nomination Form) and include the following information in the 2026 nomination form:

• Name of nominee
• Position for which the person is being nominated
• Nominee email address

All nominees will be notified via email asking to accept or decline the nomination. If the nomination is accepted, the nominee will need to submit their materials by the April 1, 2026 deadline. These materials will be evaluated using the Elections Committee Rubric found on the ASTE website on the Elections committee page here.

For more information about the elected positions and their associated responsibilities, please refer to this overview document and the ASTE Standard Operating Procedures. Please also contact the Elections Committee chair if you have any questions or would like additional information.

We look forward to receiving your nominations!

Julianne Wenner, Elections Committee Chair
Holly Plank, Elections Committee Co-Chair
Daniel Alston, Elections Committee Member
Melanie Kinskey, Elections Committee Member
Ryan Summers, Elections Committee Member

 Help Us Spread the Word: Using the ASTE Job Board

Some Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE) members—and even non-members—have already found and started using our new Job Board, which is great to see. At the same time, we want to do a better job communicating how to share job opportunities and how to follow openings across the ASTE community.

 Access the ASTE Job Board here:
https://theaste.wildapricot.org/Job-Board

Here’s how you can use it:

Post a Job
Have a position to share (e.g., faculty roles, postdocs, staff positions, graduate opportunities, or other science education–related work)?

• Visit the ASTE Job Board

• Select “Post a Job”

• Complete the short form with position details, deadlines, and contact information

✅ Posting is free for ASTE members
Non-members may post for $135

ℹ️ The Job Board is connected to ASTE’s membership management system (WildApricot). Your member status is checked automatically, so be sure to log in to the ASTE website to receive the member posting rate.

Once submitted, your posting will be visible to the broader ASTE community.

Sign Up for Job Alerts
If you’re exploring opportunities—or supporting students and colleagues in their searches:

• Visit the Job Board

• Use the “Sign up for job alerts” option in the right-hand panel

• Set your preferences to receive email notifications for relevant openings

Whether you’re hiring, mentoring, or planning your next career step, the ASTE Job Board is an easy way to share and follow opportunities within our professional community.

 We encourage you to bookmark the Job Board, sign up for job alerts, and share this link with colleagues and students.

ASTE will be discontinuing the use of MailChimp for association communications on March 15, 2026. ASTE will transition to using WildApricot as the primary method of communication and will use that platform exclusively after March 15. During the transition period, you may receive duplicate messages from both MailChimp and WildApricot.

Messages through MailChimp are sent to around 1200 contacts that are, or were, ASTE members at one time. Messages sent through WildApricot are sent to around 550 contacts who are or were members since 2025 (when the ASTE website switched over to the WildApricot website and membership platform).

If you no longer receive email messages from ASTE after March 15, 2026 you will need to join or renew your ASTE membership at https://theaste.org/join-us  Note that ASTE membership rates increase on March 15, 2026 as well.

Ron Hermann
ASTE Executive Director

Prospective Author and Reviewer Opportunity!

https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/usch20/collections/NSTA-Leadership-Matters-Column

We present an open access curated collection showcasing the Leadership Matters column across the National Science Teaching Association’s three peer-reviewed journals: Science & Children, Science Scope, and The Science Teacher. Originally centered on elementary education, the column has expanded to include middle and high school perspectives, creating broader opportunities for educators to share leadership insights. This collection highlights how leadership influences science education through policy, practice, equity, professional learning, curriculum, and transformation across PK–12 settings. Contributors reflect diverse roles and both formal and informal leadership experiences. Rolling submissions are accepted, and column editors welcome inquiries. 

Applications now being sought for the position of Conference Program Coordinator(s) for the Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE)

The Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE) is seeking applications for Conference Program Coordinator (s). The duration of the appointment is 3.5 years. The first six months (July 2026 –January 2027) will overlap with the current Conference Program Coordinator as a transition and training period. Official coordination responsibilities will be from closure of the 2027 ASTE Annual Conference through close of the 2030 ASTE Annual Conference.   The coordinator(s) will carry out their work as part of the ASTE Conference Planning Committee (CPC) to ensure that meetings, workshops, offsite events and field trips are included in the conference program. The CPC members include:  CPC Chair Program Coordinator(s)  Local Host Team Past -President Executive Director Director of Electronic Services Equity Committee Representative Graduate Student Representative  In preparation for the ASTE Annual Conferences, the Conference Program Coordinator(s): Communicate with Thread Coordinators regarding recommendations for  accepted proposals, confirming decisions to accept/reject with the Director of Electronic Communications for author notification Manage the process for building the daily conference schedule, including concurrent sessions, meetings, and other events Coordinates the process of assembling the information from all parties necessary to build the conference program and conference app. Collaborates with CPC Chair and other members of the committee Most of the coordinator’s work is completed remotely, with the busiest period between July and November each year as proposals are submitted and reviewed.   The Conference Program Coordinator(s) must be members in good standing of ASTE. Desired qualifications include a high level of organization, strong interpersonal skills for collaboration, attention to detail, ability to meet deadlines, and familiarity working with spreadsheets. The position includes a stipend of $1800.00, complimentary registration, and up to 4 complementary nights at the conference hotel during the annual conferences during the term of service (2028, 2029, 2030).    For questions regarding this position and to submit application materials, email ASTE President-elect Amanda Townley at amanda.lee.townley@gmail.com.  Full applications for the position are due April 15, 2026 and should include: A cover letter stating interest in the position and qualifications An abbreviated Curriculum Vita (no more than 5 pages) focusing on work relevant to the position

ASTE Membership rates will increase on March 15, 2026. 

The new membership rates are as follows:

• Pre-service Teacher Membership (electronic only JSTE) - $35
• Retired Membership (electronic only JSTE) - $70
• Retired Membership (print and electronic JSTE) - $100
• Graduate Student/Teacher Membership (electronic only JSTE) - $70
• Graduate Student/Teacher Membership (print and electronic JSTE) - $100
• Regular Membership (electronic only JSTE) - $160
• Regular Membership (print and electronic JSTE) - $190

JSTE publisher, Taylor & Francis, supplies print versions at a cost of $30 US dollars per annual volume, per member.

New memberships and membership renewals will remain at the current rate until March 15, 2026. Memberships can be purchased at https://theaste.wildapricot.org/join-us

Ron Hermann
ASTE Executive Director

Are you looking for ways to get more involved with ASTE? We are looking for ASTE members to serve on the following committees for a 3-year term:
 
Awards, Equity, NSTA Partnership, Oversight, and Professional Development
 
We also are seeking graduate student reps to serve a two-year term on the following committees: 
 
Awards, Communication, Equity, Oversight, and Publications.
 
You can learn more about ASTE committees here: https://theaste.org/Committees. 
 
If you are interested in joining an ASTE committee, first ensure you are a current ASTE member then please email Kelly Feille (President Elect) at feille@ou.edu with your committee interest(s), your institution, and preferred email contact. 
 
Thank you for your service to ASTE!
 
Kelly Feille
President Elect
feille@ou.edu

Dear ASTE Friends,
  

The ASTE Elections Committee is pleased to announce the results of the 2025 ASTE Election. With 127 members voting, the results are: 

President-elect

●  Kelly Feille
 

 Board Members Elect

●  Joshua Ellis

●  Preethi Titu

 

Elections Committee 

●  Melanie Kinskey

●  Holly Plank

●  Ryan Summers

  

Thank you to all who ran for a position and to members who voted!

Congratulations to our new ASTE elected leaders! 

 

Sincerely, 

Jesse Wilcox, Elections Committee Chair

Julianne Wenner, Elections Committee Chair-Elect

Dear Colleagues,
 
The Swissotel ASTE Conference rate of $139.00 plus taxes and fees ends on Tuesday, December 23, 2025.

Hotel Reservations: Please secure your hotel room at the Swissotel through our conference link to lock in the $139.00 (pre-tax) nightly rate. Hotel reservations at this rate must be made by Tuesday, December 23, 2025.
 
Sincerely,
ASTE 2026 Local Planning Team
(co-chair) Sumreen Asim – Indiana University - Southeast
(co-chair) Becky Hammack, Purdue University
(co-chair) Paula Magee, Indiana University - Indianapolis
 

For those who weren't able to attend the recent Professional Development webinar focused on providing a 2026 Conference Preview, you can access the recording through this link.