Keynote Speakers
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2026
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Dr. Raven Baxter
Molecular Biologist
Dr. Raven Baxter, molecular biologist and science communicator, takes you through some of the most popular stories children know and love, and the strategies she uses to explore the science in and out of them. A former science teacher with a doctorate in the science of learning, she has spent more than a decade making science videos, music, and podcasts as Dr. Raven the Science Maven. Her research examines how hip-hop, identity, and storytelling shape the way people understand and trust science. With a a community of more than 500,000, she treats her platform as a living laboratory, publicly testing science communication theory in real time.
Title: Multidimensional by Nature: Exploring Art and Storytelling through Science
In this keynote she breaks down how she picks a story and where she looks for the science. When one fact is followed far enough, it can open into a whole world.
Check out a video intro here...
Dr. Raven Baxter
Molecular Biologist
Dr. Raven Baxter, molecular biologist and science communicator, takes you through some of the most popular stories children know and love, and the strategies she uses to explore the science in and out of them. A former science teacher with a doctorate in the science of learning, she has spent more than a decade making science videos, music, and podcasts as Dr. Raven the Science Maven. Her research examines how hip-hop, identity, and storytelling shape the way people understand and trust science. With a a community of more than 500,000, she treats her platform as a living laboratory, publicly testing science communication theory in real time.
Title: Multidimensional by Nature: Exploring Art and Storytelling through Science
In this keynote she breaks down how she picks a story and where she looks for the science. When one fact is followed far enough, it can open into a whole world.
Check out a video intro here...
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2026
FELLOWS SPEAKER
Tim Guinee
New York Legislative-Action Director
The Bridge Between Science and Action
Tim Guinee is the President of Climate Action Now. Since joining Climate Reality, he has given presentations all over the U.S., Canada and North Africa. He enjoys giving talks to underserved and oppositional audiences including such diverse groups as conservative fire departments, Houston oil-industry executives and maximum-security inmates. He is the founder of The Climate Actors, serves on the Advisory Council of Riverkeeper, the Advisory Board of the Center for Earth Ethics, the Executive Committee of the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, the Advisory Board of Project Green Schools, and the Boards of Directors at the Ashokan Center (New York's oldest outdoor environmental education center), the Broadway Green Alliance, and the Board of the Climate Reality Action Fund. He served as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Commission on Accelerating Climate Solutions. He is the official climate change liaison for the town of Marbletown, NY with the Climate Mayors, and serves as the New York Legislative-Action Director for the Climate Reality Project New York State Chapter Coalition. In 2020 he was awarded the prestigious Alfredo Sirkis Memorial Green Ring Award by Vice-President Gore.
His work focuses on the intersection of education, community resilience, and legislative change, making him a pivotal voice for educators aiming to inspire the next generation of scientific thinkers.
Key Expertise & Impact
Tim Guinee
New York Legislative-Action Director
The Bridge Between Science and Action
Tim Guinee is the President of Climate Action Now. Since joining Climate Reality, he has given presentations all over the U.S., Canada and North Africa. He enjoys giving talks to underserved and oppositional audiences including such diverse groups as conservative fire departments, Houston oil-industry executives and maximum-security inmates. He is the founder of The Climate Actors, serves on the Advisory Council of Riverkeeper, the Advisory Board of the Center for Earth Ethics, the Executive Committee of the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, the Advisory Board of Project Green Schools, and the Boards of Directors at the Ashokan Center (New York's oldest outdoor environmental education center), the Broadway Green Alliance, and the Board of the Climate Reality Action Fund. He served as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Commission on Accelerating Climate Solutions. He is the official climate change liaison for the town of Marbletown, NY with the Climate Mayors, and serves as the New York Legislative-Action Director for the Climate Reality Project New York State Chapter Coalition. In 2020 he was awarded the prestigious Alfredo Sirkis Memorial Green Ring Award by Vice-President Gore.
His work focuses on the intersection of education, community resilience, and legislative change, making him a pivotal voice for educators aiming to inspire the next generation of scientific thinkers.
Key Expertise & Impact
- Narrative Strategy: Leveraging a career in storytelling to help scientists and educators communicate the urgency of the climate crisis without succumbing to "doomism."
- Grassroots Mobilization: Instrumental in legislative efforts focused on regenerative agriculture and renewable energy transitions.
- Educational Advocacy: Partnering with academic institutions to integrate real-world climate solutions into STEM curricula.
FELLOWS SPEAKER
Samrat Pathania
Mid-Hudson Teacher Center-Project Manager Science & Sustainability
Samrat Pathania is a former software engineer who has been teaching collegiate courses in physics and computer science at Wallkill High School in Wallkill, New York for 13 years. He is a New York State Master Teacher Emeritus and co-founder of Environmental Justice Forward, an environmental non-profit. Samrat is also the Project Manager for Science and Sustainability at the Mid-Hudson Teacher Center at SUNY New Paltz and a clean energy coach with New Yorkers for Clean Power. He is a passionate advocate for inquiry-based and climate solutions-centered STEM education, inside and outside the classroom. Samrat is the co-author of A Full Axiomatic Development of High School Geometry (Springer 2023). He is currently pursuing his MPA in Environmental Science and Policy at Columbia University.
Samrat Pathania
Mid-Hudson Teacher Center-Project Manager Science & Sustainability
Samrat Pathania is a former software engineer who has been teaching collegiate courses in physics and computer science at Wallkill High School in Wallkill, New York for 13 years. He is a New York State Master Teacher Emeritus and co-founder of Environmental Justice Forward, an environmental non-profit. Samrat is also the Project Manager for Science and Sustainability at the Mid-Hudson Teacher Center at SUNY New Paltz and a clean energy coach with New Yorkers for Clean Power. He is a passionate advocate for inquiry-based and climate solutions-centered STEM education, inside and outside the classroom. Samrat is the co-author of A Full Axiomatic Development of High School Geometry (Springer 2023). He is currently pursuing his MPA in Environmental Science and Policy at Columbia University.
Invited Speakers
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2026
INVITED SPEAKER
Angie Rizzi
My NASA Data Task Lead
Angela Rizzi has been on the Science Directorate Education and Public Outreach Team since 2018 supporting two NASA Science Activation projects, GLOBE Mission Earth (GME) and NASA Earth Science Education Collaborative (NESEC). She is the Task Lead for My NASA Data. She is a highly qualified teacher with certification in Middle School Math and Science and High School Earth Science. She taught for over 11 years and is a seasoned GLOBE teacher. She also has over 10 years of experience as an IT consultant which she leverages for managing the My NASA Data website.
Title: Classroom‑Ready Strategies for Exploring NASA Data
Details: Session C-05/D-05 at 1:30-4:00 Canandaigua Room, Marriott
This hands‑on workshop engages educators in a clear data progression that supports rigorous, phenomenon‑based instruction using NASA Earth data. Participants experience how students move from simple representations into mapped data, time‑series plots, and introductory modeling. The workshop provides participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to implement high‑quality instructional strategies, monitor and assess student progress, and integrate sensemaking routines. It also promotes technological literacy through effective use of NASA’s Earth System Data Explorer, modeling how appropriate technology enhances data interpretation and scientific reasoning. By working with authentic datasets, educators deepen their Earth science content knowledge and leave with classroom‑ready tools, templates, and examples. A high‑school extension demonstrates how data progressions can be applied to exploring phytoplankton patterns using NASA PACE mission ocean‑color data.
Angie Rizzi
My NASA Data Task Lead
Angela Rizzi has been on the Science Directorate Education and Public Outreach Team since 2018 supporting two NASA Science Activation projects, GLOBE Mission Earth (GME) and NASA Earth Science Education Collaborative (NESEC). She is the Task Lead for My NASA Data. She is a highly qualified teacher with certification in Middle School Math and Science and High School Earth Science. She taught for over 11 years and is a seasoned GLOBE teacher. She also has over 10 years of experience as an IT consultant which she leverages for managing the My NASA Data website.
Title: Classroom‑Ready Strategies for Exploring NASA Data
Details: Session C-05/D-05 at 1:30-4:00 Canandaigua Room, Marriott
This hands‑on workshop engages educators in a clear data progression that supports rigorous, phenomenon‑based instruction using NASA Earth data. Participants experience how students move from simple representations into mapped data, time‑series plots, and introductory modeling. The workshop provides participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to implement high‑quality instructional strategies, monitor and assess student progress, and integrate sensemaking routines. It also promotes technological literacy through effective use of NASA’s Earth System Data Explorer, modeling how appropriate technology enhances data interpretation and scientific reasoning. By working with authentic datasets, educators deepen their Earth science content knowledge and leave with classroom‑ready tools, templates, and examples. A high‑school extension demonstrates how data progressions can be applied to exploring phytoplankton patterns using NASA PACE mission ocean‑color data.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2026
INVITED SPEAKER
Dr. Sharon Bowers
Senior STEM Education Specialist
National Institute of Aerospace (NIA)
Dr. Sharon Bowers is a STEM education leader at the National Institute of Aerospace’s Center for Integrative STEM Education, where she advances innovative, engineering-centered approaches to teaching and learning. A former K–8 educator with more than 30 years of experience, she is passionate about helping teachers bring real-world context, creativity, and problem-solving into their classrooms.
Dr. Bowers earned her EdD in Integrative STEM Education from Virginia Tech and is a Secondary Science Presidential Award winner for Virginia. She collaborates with team mates to develop NASA eClips™ classroom resources, leads professional learning for educators nationwide, designs and teaches graduate courses at McDaniel College, and serves as co-editor-in-chief of Technology and Engineering Education.
Title: Changemakers by Design
Details: Session H-12/I-12 at 12:45-3:15 Empire Room, Marriott
Participants will experience how engineering design is more than a STEM activity—it is a powerful instructional approach that empowers all learners to become confident, creative problem-solvers who can address real-world challenges.
Dr. Sharon Bowers
Senior STEM Education Specialist
National Institute of Aerospace (NIA)
Dr. Sharon Bowers is a STEM education leader at the National Institute of Aerospace’s Center for Integrative STEM Education, where she advances innovative, engineering-centered approaches to teaching and learning. A former K–8 educator with more than 30 years of experience, she is passionate about helping teachers bring real-world context, creativity, and problem-solving into their classrooms.
Dr. Bowers earned her EdD in Integrative STEM Education from Virginia Tech and is a Secondary Science Presidential Award winner for Virginia. She collaborates with team mates to develop NASA eClips™ classroom resources, leads professional learning for educators nationwide, designs and teaches graduate courses at McDaniel College, and serves as co-editor-in-chief of Technology and Engineering Education.
Title: Changemakers by Design
Details: Session H-12/I-12 at 12:45-3:15 Empire Room, Marriott
Participants will experience how engineering design is more than a STEM activity—it is a powerful instructional approach that empowers all learners to become confident, creative problem-solvers who can address real-world challenges.