The award is one of the top honors from the organization, and recognizes research that has great significance in the field of science education. Kim received the award during NARST’s annual conference in March 2022.

“It was a great honor to receive this award from NARST, one of the most renowned organizations in our field,” said Kim, an assistant professor at Santa Clara University’s School of Education and Counseling Psychology. “The award, ultimately, is an honorable recognition of the importance of the research-practice partnership among youth, educators and researchers aimed at identifying and implementing justice-oriented science education in informal STEM settings.”

Kim’s dissertation—”Making Visible and Amplifying Youth-initiated Moments for Rightful Presence in Informal STEM Learning Space” — examined times in which “youth made visible their bids for rightful presence in and through their informal STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] learning experiences, and by exploring how their educators supported and amplified these bids.” The term “youth-initiated moments” is one Kim herself coined.

The research underscores Kim’s commitment to supporting underserved students, said Professor Alicia Alonzo, who served as one of Kim’s advisors at MSU and will serve as the new CITE program coordinator beginning May 16.

To read more about Kim, visit education.msu.edu