Alec Barron - Director, San Diego Science Project at UC San Diego

What’s the best advice anyone has given you as a science leader?

• So many leaders and authors have helped me better understand the importance of recognizing areas of growth. The best advice in this area is to think like a scientist. Act with humility and curiosity and treat your emerging thoughts as a hypothesis that can be tested with data.  

• Connect with and learn from as many diverse leaders in diverse contexts as possible. It is easy to be trapped in an echo chamber with the same ideas and practices. The diverse perspectives and experiences of others are essential for growing as a science leader.
  

• When not getting nerdy with scientists and other science educators, I can be found on trails in nature exploring phenomena of our natural world.  It reminds me that I am not disconnected from the systems of our wonderful planet.
  

• I couldn’t be successful in science leadership without the wonderful support of students and teachers. I have to give credit to one of my former students who coined the term nerdy delight. This idea is about opening ourselves up to all the joys that we experience when we encounter new discoveries or overcome challenges. Science leadership is about inspiring nerdy delight for others.
  

• I like to begin with a phenomenon that promotes curiosity. Whether it is a boy breaking a glass with his voice or a puzzling data set, these observations promote dialogue and sense making. It is from these explorations that we learn more about one another and can establish our shared goals for working together.
  

• I just finished Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary. It is a great adventure novel with puzzling phenomena. I would love to see some of the ideas in this novel leveraged by high school physics and chemistry units of instruction.  
  

• I work as the Director of the San Diego Science Project (SDSP) at UC San Diego. In this role, I partner with underserved school districts to adopt culturally responsive instructional materials and implement curriculum and professional learning plans for the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). I also work collaboratively with science researchers to write and implement grants that create opportunities for science teachers to learn about new phenomena and gain access to resources that engage their students. My work on the Science of Sound of Music with UC San Diego music neuroscientist Dr. Victor Minces best exemplifies how grants from the National Science Foundation can translate into curriculum resources and professional learning experiences that best meet the needs of science teachers in our region.
  

• My professional journey has been a constant pursuit of diverse experiences to deepen my understanding of educational systems and hone my leadership capacity for diversity, equity, and inclusion in science education. This passion led me to teach a variety of science subjects (Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science, and Biology) across grades 6-12 in schools with diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. I co-founded a high school called, Del Lago Academy, a STEM school focussed on personalized learning experiences for students. Additionally, I was an instructional coach and administrator supporting the implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards.
  

• I joined This organization so that I can connect to others outside my region and be inspired by other efforts and innovations in our field.
  

• The Listening to Waves project with Dr. Victor Minces has generated an 8th grade Science of Sound and Music unit that engages students with a sense of wonder on the sonic world, which helps them make connections between the perceptual, physical, and computational aspects of sound and music.  Both students and teachers have reported that these curriculum resources and professional learning experiences are the most impactful of their career.  Additionally, I am proud of the Climate Champions initiative that I lead at UC San Diego and support over 60 teachers each year with learning about and using the Understanding Global Change conceptual framework.
  

• Even though California funds a variety of climate-based initiatives, we have seen very few targeted towards the greatest needs of science teachers. Science teachers in our landscape analysis have asked for more support for climate education, action, and justice for their students. We’ve worked to address this issue by leveraging funding from Broader Impacts components of National Science Foundation grants to support our Climate Champions programming at UC San Diego.
  

• I serve on the Leadership team for the California NGSS Collaborative. In this role, I support the planning and implementation of professional learning efforts for teacher leaders and teachers throughout our state. Additionally, I work collaboratively with researchers to generate publications based on the work of our project.
  

• Maria Simani, the Executive Director of the California Science Project, has inspired my leadership practices and strategic planning efforts at UC San Diego. Additionally, I’m continuously inspired by the work of Nan Renner at Birch Aquarium at Scripps Oceanography, UC San Diego. Nan is the greatest champion I’ve met for climate education, action, and justice in our world. I am continuously learning with her about the injustices in our world due to the climate crisis we are facing.
  

• I’m interested in how to promote more collective action on the part of students with data to create change within their community to combat the climate crisis. 
  

• Develop a systems leadership view of the challenges we face in education. Read Think Again by Adam Grant and practice rethinking practices when looking at phenomena and challenges in your own work. Challenge yourself to have new experiences with diverse professionals that can inspire new perspectives on leadership and more.
  

• Anything outdoors (e.g., backpacking, hiking, mountain biking, and skiing) with my family helps fill my cup.