John Doctor Education Prize


The John Doctor Education Prize was established in memory of John Doctor, a Society for Developmental Biology member, who passed away suddenly and prematurely in the fall of 2005. John was very active in the society as a member of the Professional Development and Education Committee (PDEC), a participant in education sessions at regional and national meetings, and as an organizer of the 2004 Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. His enthusiasm and enjoyment for teaching was inspirational for many who met him at SDB meetings.

In 2006, SDB began awarding the John Doctor Best Education Poster Award.  In 2016, the PDEC reinvented the award as an education video competition and challenged SDB members to produce engaging videos that teach difficult-to-explain developmental biology topics. The John Doctor Education Prize includes a certificate and a check for $1,000.

Challenge

Create a short instructional video to communicate what we do as scientists to the general public. Depending on the topic chosen (see below), video entries may be as short as 30 seconds or as long as 5 minutes. Lab or group entries are welcome. Videos should be geared towards students and a lay audience.

Choose one of the following topics:

  1. How is your research and/or experimental organism impacted by climate change?
  2. What does your research organism teach us about evolution and/or relationships among living organisms?
  3. A day in the life of a scientist or a science lab.

Selection Criteria

The presenter or team of presenters must be current SDB members (2022 dues paid). Videos will be evaluated on both the content of the work presented and the quality of the presentation. Videos should be clear, concise, and visually appealing. The presenter should be knowledgeable and engaging. A brief 1-page summary about the video  is required with the submission. It should include tips for how the video could be used in the classroom, as well as the intended audience.

Submit

Submission Deadline: Wednesday, June 1, 2022 (11:59 pm EDT)

John Doctor Education Prize Winners


Recipient
Video
Description
2020Aaron Alcala (University of Georgia)Leapin Lizards: A New Model to Study Reptile Development
pdf
2019
Amy Ralston (Michigan State University)
Developmental Origami: An active learning exercise to explore the developmental origins of the body axes
pdf
2016
Youngeun Choi (Harvard University) My Fate is in Your Hands: Inductive Signals For Cell Fate Determination pdf
2016
Caryl A. Forristall (University of Redlands)Teaching the Concept of Induction with Feathers and Hen's Teethpdf

    Past Poster Award Recipients

    2011
    		Sandra Leal, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS. "A forward genetic screen as a developmental biology laboratory exercise for undergraduates identifies gene candidates that regulate embryonic CNS development in Drosophila." Developmental Biology 356 (2011): A55.

    Sally Hoskins, City College of New York, NY. "Demystifying and humanizing research through intensive analysis of primary literature--testing the C.R.E.A.T.E. approach in diverse student populations and topic areas." Developmental Biology 356 (2011): A56.
    2010
    		Judith Thorn, Knox College, Galesburg, IL. “Humanoids: a creative application project for developmental biology courses.” Developmental Biology 344 (2010): 438.

    Jamie Shuda, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. “Impacting K-12: what makes Project BioEYES work?” Developmental Biology 344 (2010): 421
    2007
    		Sally Hoskins, City College of New York, NY. “Novel use of primary literature in class promotes critical thinking as well as interest in research careers.” Developmental Biology 306 (2007): A66.
    2006
    		Michael Klimkowsky, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO.  “Mapping student misconceptions using Ed’s Tools, an online analysis system.” Developmental Biology 295 (2006): 349.