Megan Ennes, curator of museum education at the Florida Museum of Natural History, has been named a 2024-2026 research fellow by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Ennes was selected as a fellow in education research through the National Academies’ Gulf Research Program.
The Early-Career Research Fellowships program supports emerging scientific leaders as they take on untested research ideas, pursue unique collaborations and build a network of colleagues who share their interest in advancing the safety of the offshore energy system and improving the well-being of coastal communities and ecosystems.
The five fellows joining the Education Research track will contribute to the advancement of science, STEM and environmental education in the Gulf of Mexico region or Alaska by considering the impacts of establishing sense-of-place in formal or informal learning environments.
“We welcome these talented fellows and look forward to supporting their innovative, collaborative research,” said Karena Mary Mothershed, director of the Gulf Research Program’s Board on Gulf Education and Engagement. “We are excited to see what these early-career researchers will accomplish as they implement research that will have a lasting impact on the Gulf of Mexico region.”
Ennes studies how museums can inspire science interest and career aspirations among underrepresented groups through family programs and civic engagement. She leads Community Action Projects for the Environment, supporting youth-driven environmental initiatives, funded by the North American Association for Environmental Education and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Ennes also focuses on improving science communication, particularly about climate change, for museum educators and scientists. Chair of the American Educational Research Association’s Informal Learning Environments group, she holds a Ph.D. in science education from North Carolina State University and an M.A. in environmental studies and B.S. in marine biology and education from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington.
She will use funding from the fellowship to study how conservation and stewardship practices in Florida are influenced by how connected people feel to their environment.
“We want to look at how sense of place in Florida affects pro-environmental behaviors,” she said. Ennes is also the director the Florida Museum’s Thompson Earth Systems Institute (TESI), which was established to bolster environmental education in Florida and promote the responsible stewardship of natural resources.
Ennes also plans to use the early career fellowship to introduce core environmental concepts and research practices. Each year TESI hosts an environmental leaders fellowship in which students from the University of Florida attend environmental seminars, receive mentorship from experts and participate in a field excursion with a focus on environmental issues in Florida.
With funding from the National Academies, Ennes will expand the focus of the environmental leaders fellowship to include a more holistic view of how Floridians see and interact with their surroundings.
“Understanding how people feel connected to Florida gives us insights for how we talk about things like sea level rise or saltwater intrusion and heat and the many other issues we are facing here in our state. It makes it easier for educators to connect with their students and helps us communicate about these issues in ways that help our learners feel empowered to make change and protect the places they love.”
Pamela Soltis, a distinguished professor and curator at the Florida Museum, will serve as Megan’s mentor during the two-year fellowship. Two additional faculty at the University of Florida — Marc Hansel, a research professor in the soil, water and ecosystems sciences department and Elise Morrison, a professor in environmental engineering — have also been awarded the 2024-2026 early career fellowship.
Visit the National Academies website to access the full press release, which includes information for all 2024-2026 early career fellows.
Sources: Megan Ennes, mennes@floridamuseum.ufl.edu
Media contacts: Pete Nelson, pnelson@nas.edu;
Jerald Pinson, jpinson@flmnh.ufl.edu, 352-294-0452