Every year, Science ATL recognizes remarkable members of our community doing work to better our city. The David B. Hartnett Award for Public Engagement with Science honors an Atlanta-based scientist or engineer who has shown excellence in their commitment to making Atlanta a “science city” by sharing science with the public. The K-12 STEM Community Builder Award recognizes a metro Atlanta K-12 educator who is enriching the STEM/STEAM culture at their school. Read more about our 2024 awardees below!
Mark & Crystal Mandica
David B. Hartnett Award for Public Engagement with Science
We are delighted to announce Mark & Crystal Mandica as the 2024 David B. Hartnett Awardees for Public Engagement with Science. Mark and Crystal are co-founders of the Amphibian Foundation, a local non-profit gem in Atlanta that seeks to create and implement lasting solutions to the global amphibian extinction crisis. While their efforts on this front are truly remarkable, it is Mark & Crystal’s commitment to education and outreach that have won them this distinction.
From hosting education courses and camps to dozens of community events that provide the opportunity to share their infectious enthusiasm for amphibians, Mark and Crystal have made an incredible impact in our city helping everyone they touch love amphibians too. We know all of us at Science ATL certainly are in awe of these incredible creatures!
The selected recipient for the David B. Hartnett Award for Public Engagement with Science shows passion and enthusiasm for science/engineering and shares their knowledge and excitement with public audiences. The recipient receives a monetary prize of $1000, plus up to an additional $1000 to support a public engagement event created in partnership with Science ATL.
This award is named for Science ATL champion and friend, David B. Hartnett. David currently serves as the Chief Economic Development Officer at the Metro Atlanta Chamber and was the founding Board Chairman of Atlanta Science Festival – now Science ATL. David was the spark that brought the Festival to life in 2014, seeing the vision of the founders and helping to make it a reality. In his everyday work, David seeks to make Atlanta a better place and sees the work of Science ATL as instrumental in creating a city that values science.
Angela Reeves
K-12 STEM Community Builder Award
We could not be happier to announce Ms. Angela Reaves of Honey Creek Elementary in Rockdale County as the 2024 recipient of the Science ATL K-12 STEM Community Builder Award. Since the fall of 2020, Angela has been an active and dedicated participant in our STEM Professional School Partnership program (SPSP), working with STEM professionals from a variety of disciplines to bring STEM engagements to her school. Her dedication does not just begin an end with students; through her work she was able to take her SPSP partnerships to the next level through professional development and mentoring sessions for the staff at her school. Leveraging this growing excitement for STEM, she even found ways to tie Rockdale County community leaders into her school through an environmental initiative. Her dedication has led to both a growth in STEM awareness at her school and increases in science readiness in her students. Science ATL is so proud to support such an amazing educator.
The winner of the K-12 STEM Community Builder Award demonstrates leadership and excellence in implementing curricular/extracurricular activities, engaging under-represented students in STEM, increasing exposure to careers, and facilitating external partnerships to build a rich STEM community centered at the school. Each year, one winner will be selected to receive a $1000 cash prize for personal use, and their school will receive an additional $1000 to support further STEM/STEAM initiatives.
