Education Prize
The AAS Education Prize recognizes outstanding contributions to the education of the public, students, and/or the next generation of professional astronomers. Self-nominations are allowed.
Prize nominations are open and are due on 30 June.
View Nomination Checklist View Ethics Self-Disclosure Form
2023 - Linda Shore
For the nationwide impact of her work educating teachers as Director of the Exploratorium Teacher Institute, and for the development of novel educational programs aimed at non-astronomers as CEO of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.
2022 - Alex Filippenko
For his passionate and wildly popular teaching of non-science majors; his mentoring of hundreds of teaching assistants and undergraduate research students.
2021 – Chris Impey
For his national and international impact through his outstanding teaching of thousands of students at his home university and, via the web, worldwide.
2020 – Deborah Byrd
For her contributions to the Texas Star Party, StarDate, and Earth & Sky, which epitomize her advocacy for science and her lifetime of service in educating and inspiring the public with the wonders and beauty of astronomy.
2017 – Hernán Quintana
For his tireless work over more than three decades developing and bringing astronomy education and degree programs into Chilean universities.
2016 – Lynn R. Cominsky
For her long-standing leadership of the Sonoma State University Education and Public Outreach Group, which has had a broad and significant impact both locally and nationally.
2015 – David Morrison
For a lifetime of outstanding contributions to the understanding of astronomy by college students and the public and to the debunking of astronomical pseudoscience through his textbooks, popular books, slide sets, websites, articles, public talks, and wor
2014 – Deidre Hunter
For co-founding and successfully running for the last 17 years a science and astronomy education program for 5th-8th grade Navajo-Hopi students and their teachers (of Arizona, and New Mexico), a historically underserved and culturally isolated population.
| Year | Recipient(s) | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | John R. Percy | For 40+ years of tireless advocacy for K-12 astronomy education in Canada and around the world, during which he has trained and mentored many people who themselves have made major contributions to astronomy, astronomy education, and amateur astronomy. |
| 2012 | Donald W. McCarthy | For his tireless efforts over the past three decades through the University of Arizona’s Astronomy Camp to educate and involve more than 1500 students, teachers and adults in astronomy and the scientific method using authentic inquiry; and for expanding the model internationally through the Tecnológico de Monterrey. |
| 2011 | Grace Deming | For providing us with the Astronomy Diagnostic Test, the first means within our discipline to assess the success of our instruction, and convincing the astronomical community of the importance of assessment. |
| 2010 | Philip M. Sadler | For a lifetime of devotion to a research-based approach to better understand the nature of teaching and learning in K-12 and college-level astronomy. |
| 2009 | Mary Kay Hemenway | For her leadership and dedication to astronomy education and improvement of K-20 science education at the state and national level throughout her career. |
| 2008 | James B. Kaler | For significant contributions to many aspects of astronomy education throughout his entire career. |
| 2007 | Keith S. Noll | For his creation and leadership of the Hubble Heritage Project of the Space Telescope Science Institute. |
| 2006 | Sidney Wolff | For her extraordinary commitment to science education throughout her career, beginning with authoring an introductory textbook, and culminating in the first professional, refereed, astronomy education journal, the “Astronomy Education Review”, which has become a highly-valued and influential communication channel for astronomy educators. |
| 2005 | Laurence A. Marschall | For his worldwide contribution to the education of astronomy students through the creation and guidance of the Contemporary Laboratory Experiences in Astronomy project, with a clear vision of the needs of the community and an uncompromising fidelity in the simulation of observational research. |
| 2004 | Owen Gingerich | For his inspirational teaching of Harvard undergraduates for 35 years. |
| 2003 | Jay M. Pasachoff | For his eloquent and informative writing of textbooks from junior high through college. |
| 2002 | Michael Zeilik | For the past thirty years, being an innovator in the field of astronomy education and science education more generally. |
| 2001 | Frank D. Drake | For his inspiration and leadership in many areas of education and public outreach in astronomy. |
The AAS-Annenberg Prize was awarded annually for five years in recognition of outstanding contributions to science education through astronomy. The Education Prize was established in lieu of the Annenberg Prize in 2000.
| 1996 | Fred Hoyle |
| 1995 | Donald Goldsmith |
| 1994 | Andrew Fraknoi |
| 1993 | Dorrit Hoffleit |
| 1992 | Carl Sagan |