Mallinsons receive top MSTA award

Professor George G. and Jacqueline Mallinson

Drs. Jacqueline and George G. Mallinson

Olga Bonfiglio
College of Arts and Sciences staff writer

Dr. Jacqueline Buck Mallinson and the late Dr. George G. Mallinson received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Michigan Science Teachers Association at its 63rd annual conference held in Lansing in March. 

It is the highest award bestowed on practitioners who have made significant contributions to science education. The award was originally named after George G. Mallinson, who with his wife, was instrumental in starting and nurturing the MSTA 63 years ago.

Jacqueline “Jackie” Mallinson established a national reputation in her field by participating in the original design and evaluation of tests for the Educational Testing Service and by serving as co-director, instructor and evaluator for more than 30 National Science Foundation institutes and programs. She reviewed and edited hundreds of papers for the Journal of School Science and Mathematics, helping to propel that publication to national prominence. Her peers recognized her in 1962 by electing her as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The author of more than 300 professional articles and reviews and co-author of 12 textbooks, she taught at WMU for 21 years as an associate professor of science education.

George G. Mallinson, distinguished professor of science education emeritus, began his career at WMU in 1948 as associate professor of psychology and science education. He became WMU’s first dean of the Graduate College in 1955 and served until his retirement in 1977. During his tenure as dean, he was very instrumental in developing and sustaining the science education curriculum and the doctoral program in science education through external funding. He published more than 650 journal articles, monographs, reviews and books. Mallinson led the formation of WMU’s Center for Science Education, which was later named the George G. Mallinson Institute for Science Education, has played a significant role in both state and national efforts to improve the scientific capacity of students and teachers. Mallinson died in 1994.

The Institute is a research-oriented unit that is devoted to science education and to the study and improvement of how people teach and learn science. The Institute teaches undergraduate sciences courses for elementary education majors and offers two graduate degree programs. The Master’s in Science Education and Doctor of Philosophy in Science Education degrees are offered for teachers of science at both K-12 and college levels. The graduate programs are science content focused with attention to effective pedagogy. The Institute offers a unique program of concurrent-enrollment between the Institute and five science departments at WMU. Students concurrently enroll in one of five master’s programs in science along with doctoral enrollment at the Institute in science education. This program is ideal preparation for college level science teaching and for research in science education.