John Doctor Education Prize

The John Doctor Education Prize was established in memory of John Doctor, a Society for Developmental Biology member, who passed away suddenly and prematurely in the fall of 2005. John was very active in the society as a member of the Professional Development and Education Committee (PDEC), a participant in education sessions at regional and national meetings, and as an organizer of the 2004 Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. His enthusiasm and enjoyment for teaching was inspirational for many who met him at SDB meetings.

In 2006, SDB began awarding the John Doctor Best Education Poster Award.  In 2016, the PDEC reinvented the award as an education video competition and challenged SDB members to produce engaging videos that teach difficult-to-explain developmental biology topics. The John Doctor Education Prize includes a certificate and a check for $1,000.

Challenge

Create a short instructional video to communicate what we do as scientists to the general public. Video entries may be as short as 30 seconds or as long as 5 minutes.  Lab or group entries are encouraged. Videos may be geared towards college-level introductory biology, K-12, or non-scientists. Be sure to include relevance - your audience needs to know how science applies to overall well-being, quality of life, possible treatment of a medical condition, etc.

Choose one of the following topics:

1. The developmental impacts of transmissible diseases, which may include viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites.
2. Stories of scientific discovery related to developmental biology. The discovery does not have to be in developmental biology, but should have had an impact on the field of developmental biology.
   

Selection Criteria

All applicants (individual or all members of a group submission) must be current SDB members (2024 dues paid). Videos will be evaluated on both the content of the work presented and the quality of the presentation. Videos should be clear, concise, and visually appealing. The presenter should be knowledgeable and engaging. A brief 1-page summary about the video  is required with the submission. It should include tips for how the video could be used in the classroom, as well as the intended audience.

Submission Deadline Extended: Monday, June 3, 2024 (11:59 PM EDT)

JOHN DOCTOR GUIDELINES      SUBMIT VIDEO

Past Poster Award Recipients