University of Utah education professor David Stroupe has been elected as an incoming Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for his “distinguished contributions to the fields of science education and teacher education, particularly for scholarship on innovative, equitable and responsible teaching practices in diverse classrooms.”

AAAS has been recognizing distinguished members as AAAS Honorary Fellows since 1874 in recognition of extraordinary achievements in research, teaching and leadership in advancing science and its applications. Past Fellows include inventor Thomas Edison, civil rights activist W.E.B. DuBois, astronomer Maria Mitchell, astronaut Ellen Ochoa and physicist Steven Chu. Election as an AAAS Fellow is a lifetime honor, and all Fellows are expected to meet the commonly held standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity.

“Frankly, I was stunned! It is certainly a huge honor. My focus is always on improving science teaching and learning, and hopefully, my work is useful to other science educators,” Stroupe said. “Becoming an AAAS Fellow means that my colleagues feel that my research has made a substantive impact on the field of science education, and I am truly humbled and honored by their recognition.”

A rising star in science education, Stroupe is an associate professor of educational psychology in the U’s College of Education and is USTEM Hub research director.

“He has an exceptional national reputation as a scholar and an emergent international reputation,” wrote former College of Education Dean Nancy Butler Songer in Stroupe’s nomination letter. A distinguished leader in STEM education research and an AAAS Fellow herself, Songer currently serves as the Associate Provost of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education and Director of the USTEM Research and Practice Hub at the University of Utah.

Stroupe has made significant contributions to two overlapping areas of research, according to Songer’s nomination letter.

“The first topic is studying how scientific ideas develop, disappear, reappear, diverge, converge, and differentiate over time. This work focuses on studies within diverse classroom settings that emphasize valuing canonical ideas and students’ everyday ideas as necessary and valued resources in daily instruction,” she wrote.

The second examines innovative teaching practices by science teachers.

“This work focused on what teachers are capable of and the support they need to actualize a vision of socially just and rigorous pedagogy,” Songer wrote.

Drawing on frameworks from Science, Technology, and Society (STS) and the History and Philosophy of Science (HPS), Stroupe investigates how power dynamics, knowledge and epistemic agencies interact within classroom settings. He explores how teachers and students can collectively challenge traditional structures of authority and knowledge, fostering more open learning environments.

Another key area of Stroupe’s work examines how teacher preparation programs can provide support and opportunities for new educators to develop their skills, learn from their experiences, and grow into effective teachers. With his background in biology and four years of teaching secondary life science, Stroupe blends practical classroom knowledge with insights to inform his research. This combination of experience allows him to address real-world challenges in teacher preparation and professional development.

Stroupe’s contributions to science education have received additional national recognition. Stroupe won the 2024 Gloria J. Ladson-Billings Outstanding Book Award from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) for Growing and Sustaining Student-Centered Science Classrooms (Harvard Education Press, 2023) which has made a significant impact on science educator preparation.

As of January, Stroupe has served as co-editor of Science Education, an international touchstone for the latest issues and trends in science curriculum, instruction, policy and teacher preparation. Editing the journal underlines Stroupe’s commitment to promoting powerful conversations and action around knowledge-building practices in science education.  

“My heartfelt congratulations and deep admiration go out to Professor David Stroupe. I can think of no other scholar better deserving of this honor. Since joining the College of Education in July of 2023, Professor Stroupe has actively demonstrated scientific excellence and innovation in his exemplary teaching and highly successful research activity,” College of Education Dean Frankie Santos Laanan said. “He joins my predecessor as dean, Nancy Songer, in this lifelong appointment to the cadre of distinguished AAAS fellows, bringing the College of Education even deeper into dialogue with a longstanding tradition of scientific achievement across research, teaching, and technology, and administration in academia, industry and government.”

Stroupe will be formally introduced at the AAAS Fellows Forum on June 7 in Washington, D.C., joining distinguished scientists, engineers and innovators whose contributions have shaped their fields.