2024 NMEA Award Winners
Marine Education Award—Individual
Tina Miller-Way, Alabama
The 2024 NMEA Marine Education Award for outstanding work and leadership in any aspect of marine education at the local, regional, or national level was awarded to Dr. Tina Miller-Way, Chair of the Discovery Hall Programs at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab in Dauphin Island, Alabama.
Dr. Tina Miller-Way (R)—2024 Marine Education Award recipient, with President Lindsay Patterson (L)
Tina, simply put, has impacted thousands of students and teachers from K-PhD over her 30 years of marine research, science, and education. Tina started in academia and transitioned 15 years ago to be the Chair of the Discovery Hall Programs (DHP), Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s (DISL) K-12 education and outreach department to continue to carry on the rich 40 plus year old legacy (started by long -time NMEA stalwart, Dr. John Dindo) of top-notch field-based experiential marine science learning. It is here with DHP that she has helped give thousands of students a robust marine science education that set her apart.
In her 15 years at DHP, Tina helped create a robust STEM/ROV program with annual regional SeaPerch and MATE competitions and workshops with summer technology camps. She expanded and diversified DHP's summer camp opportunities for 5 year old's to college interns, while increasing DHP technological and student research capabilities by securing funding for DHP's computer lab (newly renovated for 2024), state-of-the-art research tools, lab kits, and Vernier probes and sensors. She's helped create numerous teacher workshops based around a multitude of topics with Sea Grant focus area as their basis.
In addition to chairing Discovery Hall, Tina currently serves as the lead to the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium Education Team and serves on the national Sea Grant Education Network. It cannot be understated Tina’s contributions to student marine science education in the southeast over the past 15 years.
OUTSTANDING TEACHER
Katie Lodes, Missouri
The 2024 Outstanding Teacher award for effective and innovative classroom teaching at any level goes to Katie Lodes, a High School Science teacher at St. Joseph’s Academy in St. Louis, Missouri.
Karie Lodes (R)—2024 Outstanding Teacher Award recipient, with President Lindsay Patterson (L)
Educators living along the various coasts of the US have easy access to numerous resources that assist students in learning about marine life and the ecosystems in which they thrive. Educators living in the central US are faced with additional challenges to generate connections between their inland classroom and the Ocean Literacy standards; to assist students in understanding the connections their regional inland rivers, lakes, and streams have with our global ocean.
Katherine “Katie” Lodes has embraced those challenges with her high school science students at St. Joseph’s Academy in St. Louis, Missouri. Katie strives to bring the people and processes of science to her students and to expand their scientific realm by encouraging them to follow her beyond their comfort zones and to share the knowledge gained through the scientific method at regional, national, and international conferences. Her blog, Midwestern Musings; Science and Such, provides an engaging platform for students and adult learners to follow her classes and educational opportunities beyond the classroom. Katie has also secured NSF-funded programs (e.g., Mutant Millets, Planting Science, Sci-I) for her classroom.
She is passing the torch of mentoring to her students by having them work with grade schools to bring the ecology of Monarch butterflies to life. Katie’s passion extends beyond her classroom to colleagues from across the US through her participation in various workshops, symposiums, and conferences. She has mentored hundreds of educators from across the US to become more confident while working with real scientific data and cutting-edge technologies through MBARI’s annual EARTH Workshop since its inception in 2003. Her efforts have encouraged others to seek out and work with scientists in their region and develop more strategies that bring the ocean sciences into their classrooms.
Katie adheres to the philosophy that time spent in the company of nature and humans from diverse cultures is the best way to make positive changes in the world.
This philosophy has encouraged her to seek out professional development opportunities that take her outside of her comfort zone and expose her to new technologies, and experiences that nurture her love of learning and translating scientific concepts for her students.
Marine Education Award—Outstanding Organization
The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, Connecticut
The 2024 NMEA Marine Education—Outstanding Organization Award for outstanding work and leadership by an organization in any aspect of marine education at the local, regional, or national level was awarded to The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, a not-for-profit aquarium with 75 live exhibits featuring over 7,500 animals located in South Norwalk, Connecticut.
The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk—2024 Marine Education—Outstanding Organization Award recipient
The mission of the Maritime Aquarium (TMA) is to ignite a connection to Long Island Sound and the ocean to enrich the lives of all people and inspire action to protect our blue planet. The Aquarium is home to 7,000 animals and welcomes 500,000 visitors annually. The Education Department at TMA plays a critical role in providing our visitors and students with experiences that bring our collection to life and create memorable and impactful moments. We provide experiences that facilitate awareness, care and stewardship for Long Island Sound and the global environment through interpretation at aquarium exhibits, programs in classrooms onsite and in schools, and through hands-on learning aboard our research vessel and at local beaches.
The Aquarium has evolved immensely since its founding in 1988, and there is nowhere more evident of that growth than in our Education Department. TMA has won more national awards for education programs from our professional organization (AZA) than any other aquarium or zoo, including Top Honors two of the last three years. Additionally, we have co-founded a marine-themed, STEM oriented preschool to explore how early childhood education can better prepare students for success in STEM fields. TMA has ambitious and varied vessel-based programs that take the learning outside of the aquarium walls, as well as innovative programs to teach how climate change impacts local communities and local ecosystems. Finally, TMA is a regional leader in making aquariums, zoos and other nature-based organizations more accessible to people with disabilities.
JAMES CENTORINO AWARD
David Christopher, Delaware
The 2024 James Centorino Award for distinguished performance in marine education at a regional and/or national level, and dedication to marine issues over a career goes to David Christopher, Marine Education Specialist for Delaware Sea Grant at the University of Delaware in Lewes, Delaware.
David Chritsopher (R)—2024 James Centorino Award recipient, with President Lindsay Patterson (L)
David embodies all the values of the James Centorino Award. He is a leader in NMEA, his home chapter of MAMEA, and throughout the Chesapeake Bay region. His commitment to marine and aquatic education is evident in his work. He develops innovative strategies to design engagement for the specific audience be it scouts, community leaders or educators. As a leader he goes above and beyond, often taking on responsibilities beyond his current role because he recognizes what is needed. He steps in or recruits others to fill that need locally, nationally, and globally. David is committed to partnerships for the long term - this is an integral part of who he is and how he responds to others.
Within the past five years, David was a member of the NMEA Board, serving as President, Vice Chair of the Ocean Decade Working Group, and Chair of the Membership committee. His commitment to NMEA extends further back than the five years specified in the Centorino award nomination requirements, and includes time as MAMEA Chapter Representative and NMEA By Laws Committee Chair. David served as NMEA President in 2021-22. During his time in the President’s Chain, he helped maneuver NMEA through the COVID-19 pandemic. As President, he ensured NMEA involvement in the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (Ocean Decade) by creating NMEA’s Ocean Decade Working Group. In addition, David and his President’s Chain recognized an opportunity to expand NMEA’s reach with other organizations, transforming the NSTA Liaison committee into the Strategic Partnerships committee. This committee looks for opportunities for NMEA members to promote NMEA and ocean literacy at conferences where NMEA members already have a presence. David’s vision for NMEA during his presidency was one of moving the organization forward and expanding our networks - a vision that continues to this day.
In a recent an interview for the Student Engagement Committee, David said,
I've wanted to work in the environmental education field ever since I was in middle school. I took a few detours along the way, but I eventually made it. So what I would tell my younger self is ‘stick with it and you will eventually get there, but make sure you learn as much as you can along the way.’ Every job I have had has taught me something even if it was not related to my current career.
While his style may be more low-key than most, it has left a lasting impression as he quietly leads and provides steadfast support when and where it is needed. David continues to teach all of us about bringing passion to our work, the many facets of leadership, and how when we each step up, we not only make a difference but can help strengthen all of our efforts in marine and aquatic education. On a personal note, he’s a great DJ (ask anyone at the NMEA 2023 conference) and trivia teammate!
Youth Leadership in Marine Conservation Award
Asa Miller, New York
The 2024 NMEA Youth Leadership in Marine Conservation Award for individuals 18 and under or youth groups who have demonstrated passion for protecting marine environments, educated the public about the importance of the marine environment, or advocated for the conservation and protection of marine environments and/or individual marine species was awarded to Asa Miller, from Scarsdale, New York.
Asa Miller—2024 Youth Leadership in Marine Conservation Award recipient
Asa Miller is a seventeen-year-old junior at Edgemont Jr./Sr. High School in Scarsdale, New York, whose family is from Cuba. Since 2022, he has been working with a marine biologist from the University of Havana and a team of Cuban divers to research, train in, and implement best practices in coral reef restoration in the Laguna de Maya protected area in Matanzas, Cuba. Asa analyzed data on survival rates from coral nurseries at the site and created an award-winning research paper and presentation.
When Asa first arrived in Cuba, his team relied on internet videos to learn how to restore their coral. Inspired by this, Asa directed, starred in, and edited a short, underwater documentary that demonstrates to other communities four steps to help restore a coral reef. It won awards and screened at dozens of film festivals around the world. To spread word in his own community about marine conservation, Asa founded his high school's first marine biology club, which meets biweekly to learn more about the marine environment, sound environmental practices, and career opportunities in the marine industry.
With local media promoting his efforts, Asa raised funds to buy supplies for the coral reef restoration project in Cuba, which he delivered this past summer. In recognition of his success, Asa was awarded the 2024 Blue Hatchling Youth Award. It is presented by the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, Florida, to one person under the age of seventeen nationwide who significantly contributes to marine conservation through volunteer efforts.
President’s Award
Laura Diederick, Washington DC
The 2024 President’s Award, given by the current President of NMEA Lindsay Patterson, based on outstanding contributions to NMEA and/or marine education goes to Laura Diederick, External Affairs Lead at NOAA Fisheries and NMEA Past President.
Laura Diederick (R)—2024 President’s Award recipient, with President Lindsay Patterson (L)
Since joining NMEA in 2006, Laura Diederick has been an outstanding pillar of our organization. Her roles have spanned from member and Social Media Committee Chair to NMEA Chapter Representative, Conference Co-Chair, Director, and President.
Laura's impact has been crucial in encouraging many professionals to engage with NMEA. Her unwavering commitment, even while battling illness, is truly inspiring. Her extraordinary contributions make her a perfect candidate for the 2024 NMEA President's Award.