Ann Reid
NCSE's incoming executive director Ann Reid began her new job on January 6, 2014, succeeding the outgoing executive director Eugenie C. Scott. "I've been looking forward to today," Reid commented. "I feel privileged to be at the helm of the National Center for Science Education as it continues to defend the integrity of science education — a task as important as it is necessary."
"There are a lot of challenges ahead for us at NCSE," she added, citing a likely spate of state legislation aimed at undermining the teaching of evolution and of climate change, attempts by creationists and climate change deniers to prevent the adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards in their states, and the need to equip science teachers to resist ideological pressure to compromise the integrity of their classes.
Scott expressed confidence that Reid would be up to the challenges. "She's a sharp scientist and a gifted administrator, plus she's got a crackerjack staff to back her up. I have no doubt that she'll do just fine." Scott added, "But I'll be on speed-dial, just in case!" On her retirement, Scott became the Chair of NCSE's Advisory Council, a group of eminent scientists and scholars who support NCSE's activities.