2026  NSELA Annual Conference

The National Science Education Leadership Association (NSELA) invites you to join us in Anaheim for a premier professional learning opportunity designed specifically for science education leaders. As we gather from across the nation, our goal is to explore the innovative practices that are shaping the future of our field. This conference is an invitation to step away from the daily demands of management and engage in a deeper conversation about how we can drive meaningful change. Together, we will examine how to support innovative teaching, empower our educators, and ensure deep, authentic science learning for every student.

Central to our program is this year’s theme: Leadership by Design: Architect the Future of Science Education. This guiding principle challenges us to move beyond reactive problem-solving and proactively construct coherent systems. Our sessions will explore the human side of leadership, offering insights into mentorship, coaching, and cultivating professional growth capacity. We will delve into community-centered approaches that ground learning in local contexts, alongside forward-looking discussions on harnessing AI and innovation to prepare for the future. To ground this vision, we will also examine how to utilize data and evidence to drive sustainable, impactful decision-making.

Beyond the learning sessions, the NSELA Annual Conference is a vital hub for community and connection. It is a unique space to network with like-minded professionals who share your passion for science education and your commitment to equity. We encourage you to bring your expertise and your questions, ready to collaborate with peers who understand the nuances of your role. Join us to find inspiration, recharge your professional purpose, and return to your district ready to make a lasting impact on the future of science leadership.

Keynote Speaker: Tiffany Neill, PhD

Keynote Title: Meeting the Moment: Collecting Leadership for Science Education 

Meaningful advancements in science education, past, present, and future, have always been shaped by leaders who are willing to innovate together across systems, disciplines, and communities. This is especially true in moments when mounting pressures call for new ways of thinking and leading.

The stress and challenge of the compounding pressures facing school, district, and state science education leaders can feel pretty overwhelming right now. In addition, when we’re maxed out, we often isolate ourselves and miss out on what could be our greatest resource–each other! Dr. Tiffany Neill will share emerging collaborative efforts, inspiration for leading alongside others, and help foster a sense of connection to a broader community doing this work together. As rapid technological change, growing expectations for AI integration, workforce capacity challenges, and increasing local, state, and federal policy pressures continue to reshape education, Dr. Neill invites leaders to reflect on what comes next for the field and how we can work to meet this moment, together.

Science education leaders can embrace innovation and respond to these challenges while remaining grounded in a shared, research-based vision for quality science learning. Dr. Neill shares insights from two national collaborative efforts that illustrate this balance in action. These include work through the Collaborative for Advancing Science Teaching and Learning in K-12 at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, as well as a cross-sector partnership between OpenSciEd and Amazon Future Engineer to integrate computer science and AI into science classrooms in ways that support student sensemaking. Together, these efforts show how collaboration can help science education leaders navigate change without losing coherence, equity, or focus on students and teachers.

Attendees will leave with renewed energy, a clearer sense of how collective leadership can ease the weight of the work, and ideas for engaging with others in ways that strengthen capacity and support sustained progress over the long game of advancing science education.

Speaker Bio

Dr. Tiffany Neill has been a longtime leader in STEM education and education policy for and currently serves in a variety of roles continuing to advance and advocate for quality learning experiences for students. Dr. Neill serves as a Curriculum Manager at OpenSciEd focused on integrating computer science, AI, and science through free and open curriculum. Dr. Neill also directs the Accelerated Cohorts for Teaching Success (ACTS) at the University of Central Oklahoma offering pathways of support for those seeking to change careers and enter the education profession. Neill began her career in education as a middle and high school teacher serving in both traditional and non-traditional school settings in Oklahoma. In 2002, she joined the Oklahoma State Department of Education as the Director of Science and Engineering Education and served in the role for 5 years before becoming the Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction and later the Deputy Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, serving on Cabinet for the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. For over a decade, Neill led agency strategies on academic matters including state and federal policies and state and federal funds to improve learning experience and environments for students. She also worked closely with state Legislators and state and federal agencies to inform policies to advance STEM education.

Dr. Neill served as the President of the Council of State Science Supervisors from 2017-2019 and she served on the President's STEM Advisory Board for NSF from 2020-22. She also served on the National Assessment Governing Board’s development panel to update the 2028 NAEP Science Assessment Framework. She currently serves as the Chair of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, Collaborative for Advancing Science Teaching and Learning in K-12 and served as the Co-Chair of their recent Congressionally required report, K-12 STEM Education and Workforce Development in Rural Areas. She also served as a committee member for the National Academies of Science report,  A Call to Action for Science Education: Building Opportunity for the Future and Enhancing Science.

Neill earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma and a master’s in instructional leadership and academic curriculum from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate of philosophy in education from the University of Oklahoma.