Marc Stern (right) and Bob Powell (Clemson) received the Outstanding Contributions to Research in Environmental Education Award from the North American Association for Environmental Education.
Marc Stern (right) and Bob Powell (Clemson) received the Outstanding Contributions to Research in Environmental Education Award from the North American Association for Environmental Education.
Dr. Marc J. Stern, Professor in FREC,  and Dr. Robert Powell, George B. Hartzog, Jr. Endowed Professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management and the Director of the Institute for Parks at Clemson University, were presented the North American Association for Environmental Education’s Outstanding Contributions to Research in Environmental Education Award at this year’s annual conference in Tuscon, AZ. Stern and Powell were recognized for making significant contributions to environmental education by conducting substantive research that contributes to the theory and practice of environmental education (EE), as well as for their efforts translating this research to practice through professional presentations and refereed journal articles and other research publications.
 

For nearly two decades, Powell and Stern have collaborated on research to answer one overarching question: What leads to better participant outcomes in EE programs? Together they have worked with diverse organizations to both evaluate and improve programs. Their most recent efforts have involved developing collaborative learning networks with over 80 EE providers to put research results into practice, as well as a series of national studies of over 400 EE field trips, focused on identifying key principles that can make these programs more effective for diverse audiences. Their partnerships with nonprofit organizations and government agencies have ensured that their theoretically grounded work translates into practice. Stern and Powell have co-authored over 40 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and have become well known for their rigorous approaches to program evaluation and their large-scale national comparative studies. Their research has been funded by a wide array of sponsors, including the National Science Foundation, Institute for Museum and Library Services, National Park Service, Pisces Foundation, and National Park Foundation, among others.