Washington, D.C. (August 29, 2025) — The Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Awards. This year, five individuals and six organizations are being recognized for their extraordinary achievements in advancing informal science learning, community engagement, and organizational innovation.
The Roy L. Schafer Leading Edge Awards celebrate excellence that reflects ASTC’s strategic priorities: supporting lifelong science learning, engaging diverse audiences, connecting science and society, and strengthening organizations as community leaders. In 2025, the Awards Committee also emphasized achievements related to the annual conference theme of Connectivity and innovations especially relevant to natural history settings.
“These awardees exemplify the creativity and community impact that define the science and technology center field,” said Christofer Nelson, ASTC President and CEO. “Their leadership and innovation inspire us all to deepen our connections with the communities we serve.”
Robin Gose, Ed.D., President and CEO of MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation, and Co-Chair of the ASTC Awards Committee, added: “From pioneering digital learning and global outreach, to building gardens rooted in Indigenous knowledge, to reimagining trades in STEAM, these winners remind us how powerful science engagement can be when it is bold, inclusive, and deeply connected to community needs.”
2025 Leading Edge Award Winners
Individual Awardees
- Dr. Linda Kekelis (Techbridge Girls, San Francisco, California)
Founder of Techbridge Girls, Dr. Kekelis has spent 25 years advancing equity in STEM. By centering girls and families historically excluded from science, she built enduring programs and partnerships that continue to shape informal STEM education.
- Mollie Kreb-Mertig (Cable Natural History Museum, Wisconsin)
From intern to Curator Naturalist, Mollie Kreb-Mertig has led transformative, community-rooted science engagement, building inclusive collaborations that integrate traditional knowledge and strengthen connections between people and science.
- Dr. Carrie McDougall (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Washington, D.C.)
With over two decades of leadership at NOAA, Dr. McDougall expanded Science On a Sphere globally, founded national networks, and led the Environmental Literacy Program—empowering institutions nationwide to integrate environmental learning and resilience education.
- Rob Semper (Exploratorium, California)
For more than 50 years, Rob Semper has championed innovation in informal science learning, pioneering digital education, global outreach, and groundbreaking teacher programs. His leadership has transformed science museums’ roles in society and inspired generations worldwide.
- Dr. Charles Trautmann (Sciencenter, New York)
As founding director, Dr. Trautmann grew the Sciencenter from a grassroots effort to a model institution, advancing the field through national initiatives, collaborations, and mentoring leaders across the globe.
Organizational Awardees
- North Carolina Children’s Museum and Hands On! Children’s Museum (North Carolina)
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, the North Carolina Children’s Museum (formerly known as Kidzu Children’s Museum) partnered with Hands On! Children’s Museum to distribute thousands of STEM kits to displaced children—ensuring learning continuity through crisis recovery.
- Montshire Museum of Science (Norwich, Vermont)
The Healing Forest transforms museum grounds into a resource for climate education, wellness, and youth engagement, addressing post-pandemic mental health while modeling responsive, purpose-driven museum leadership.
- Springs Preserve (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Nuwu Pahsats (“The People’s Garden”), developed with the Southern Paiute Language Group, blends Indigenous knowledge, language revitalization, and ecological science. This innovative ethnobotanical garden fosters conservation, food sovereignty, and cultural connection.
- Telus Spark Science Center (Calgary, Canada)
The BLUprint program integrates skilled trades into STEAM, engaging over 27,000 youth in carpentry, wiring, and design. This initiative bridges education and workforce needs, reshaping perceptions of trades and sparking intergenerational connections.
- The Tech Interactive (San Jose, California)
Through its Design Challenge Learning Teacher Trainer Program in Kenya, The Tech Interactive empowers educators worldwide, scaling inclusive, hands-on STEM learning that has already reached over 500,000 students.
- University of Kansas Natural History Museum (Lawrence, Kansas)
VENOMventure, a bilingual, portable game, engages families in challenging science topics. Its evidence-based design and broad adaptability make it a model for equity-focused informal learning across diverse settings.
The 2025 Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Awards will be presented during the ASTC Annual Conference, taking place September 5–8, 2025, in San Francisco, California.
For more information about ASTC’s awards program, visit: www.astc.org/awards
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About ASTC
Founded in 1973, ASTC is a network of around 600 science and technology centers and museums, and allied organizations, engaging nearly 110 million people annually across North America and in more than 40 countries. With its members and partners, ASTC works towards a vision of increased understanding of and engagement with science and technology among all people. www.astc.org Follow ASTC on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram @ScienceCenters.