Dr. Gerald Wheeler
Executive Director
As the Executive Director of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), Dr. Wheeler heads the world's largest professional organization representing science educators of all grade levels.
Prior to joining NSTA, Dr. Wheeler was Director of the Science/Math Resource Center and Professor of Physics at Montana State University. He also headed the Public Understanding of Science and Technology Division at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and has served as President of the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT).
Dr. Wheeler received an undergraduate degree in science education from Boston University and a Master's degree in physics and a Ph.D. in experimental nuclear physics, both from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Between undergraduate and graduate school, he taught high school physics, chemistry, and physical science.
For much of his career Dr. Wheeler has played a key role in the development of mass media projects that showcase science for students. He was involved in the creation of 3-2-1 Contact for the Children's Television Workshop, served on advisory boards for the Voyage of the Mimi and the PBS children's series CRO, and created and hosted Sidewalk Science, a television show for young people on CBS-affiliate WCAU-TV in Philadelphia. Dr. Wheeler has co-directed the National Teachers Enhancement Network, an NSF-funded distance learning project offering science and math courses nationwide.