Chapter 18: Don Mccurdy: The “Overachiever”

When I contacted Don about writing this chapter, he protested, “I’m not a pioneer. If anything, I’m an overachiever” (D. McCurdy, personal communication, March 22, 2012). When one reviews the list of Don’s accomplishments, perhaps he was not a pioneer in the sense of revolutionizing science education, but rather a leader in introducing literally hundreds, if not thousands, of students to inquiry methods of teaching science. In addition, he was a leader in helping science teachers create integrated science curriculum materials that bridged the discipline islands. His 45 years of service to NSTA is a record of which to be proud. Of equal importance is his impact as a mentor to many science educators. This is illustrated by Don’s recent visit to Lincoln when two former students, an associate dean and the state science consultant, rearranged their busy schedules just to be able to spend a few minutes visiting with Don.