Two Oregon State University leaders in science education have received the John Cotton Dana Award for Leadership from the American Association of Museums.

John Falk and Lynn Dierking, Oregon Sea Grant professors in the OSU Department of Science and Mathematics Education, received this award, which is made only on occasion, and has not been presented since 2002. The honor is named after a progressive museum leader who founded the Newark Museum in 1909.

It was given to Falk and Dierking in recognition of “those outside the museum field who exhibit outstanding leadership and promote the educational responsibility and capacity of museums.” Falk and Dierking are both advocates and national leaders for the concept of “free-choice” learning, which recognizes that much of what people know about science is learned outside the classroom, by reading, going to museums, dealing with life issues, or other activities.

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