2026 Keynote Speaker
Janice McDonnell
SEBS/NJAES Associate Dean of Research Impact,
Marine Science Educator, Rutgers Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences
Get ready to be inspired by McDonnell’s dynamic insights into research, education, and the power of curiosity to transform young minds. Join us for her keynote address on Tuesday morning at 8:30 am in the Princeton Session Room.
Janice McDonnell is the STEM Agent in the Department of Youth Development at Rutgers University, where she focuses on developing and implementing high quality STEM programs for youth. As part of Rutgers Cooperative Extension, the Department of Youth Development focuses on providing experiences where young people learn by doing. Youth complete hands-on projects in areas like health, science, and citizenship in a positive environment, receiving guidance from adult mentors encouraging them to take proactive leadership roles.
With a background in marine sciences, McDonnell has served as a marine science educator in the Department of Marine & Coastal Sciences for twenty-five years. For ten years (2002-2012), she was the lead Investigator for the National Science Foundation’s Centers for Ocean Science Education Excellence Networked Ocean World (COSEE- NOW), where the goal was to help scientists and educators work together to better communicate with others about the ocean through a data science lens. She is one of the co-authors of the Broader Impacts Wizard, developed as part of COSEE NOW and reimagined with a new NSF Center called ARIS (Advancing Research Impacts in Society). She supports researchers in developing Broader Impact statements for their NSF proposals.
With a background in marine sciences, McDonnell has served as a marine science educator in the Department of Marine & Coastal Sciences for twenty-five years. For ten years (2002-2012), she was the lead Investigator for the National Science Foundation’s Centers for Ocean Science Education Excellence Networked Ocean World (COSEE- NOW), where the goal was to help scientists and educators work together to better communicate with others about the ocean through a data science lens. She is one of the co-authors of the Broader Impacts Wizard, developed as part of COSEE NOW and reimagined with a new NSF Center called ARIS (Advancing Research Impacts in Society). She supports researchers in developing Broader Impact statements for their NSF proposals.