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Education Section Role(s) and Service:
Education Section Representative, Fall Meeting Program Committee (2018-present)
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| Michelle Nichols-Yehling is Director of Public Observing at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, Illinois. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1995 and a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction from National-Louis University in 2002. Ms. Nichols-Yehling has been employed by the Adler since 1995 and has served on dozens of staff teams to develop exhibits, planetarium shows, and programs and events for Adler guests, including all elements of program design and development, facilitation, and evaluation. From 2008 to 2014, she was part of NASA's IBEX spacecraft Education and Public Outreach Program team, and from 2010 to 2014, she served on the administrative teams for the NASA Science Mission Directorate Heliophysics and Astrophysics Education and Public Outreach Forums. During that time, she specialized in design and facilitation of professional development opportunities for forum program staff, educational program and product alignment to NGSS science standards, and design & development of the NASA Wavelength product database and website. Currently, as Director of Public Observing, Michelle leads the Adler’s various telescope, observatory, and sky observing public program and outreach efforts, both in-person and at-a-distance/online. She also works with astronomers, historians of astronomy, and other subject matter experts to design, develop, and facilitate quality educational programs for the general public, science interested and attentive individuals, and teens. |