Cathlyn (Cat) Davis

Cathlyn (Cat) Davis (formerly Stylinski) is a tenured researcher at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Appalachian Laboratory. She holds a Ph.D. in ecology and has extensive experience designing, studying and evaluating science education for broad audiences. Her research centers on public engagement with science, and has included citizen science design and evaluation, scientist involvement with the public and other stakeholders, communities of practice around climate change education, and technology integration and assessment in K-12 classrooms. She has also led education programming that integrates geospatial technology into schools, immerses volunteers in science, guides students in schoolyard investigations, and enhances pedagogical practices of educators working in formal and informal settings. She has produced peer-reviewed education and science articles, K-12 curricular materials, evaluation reports, broadcast videos, and interactive media. Dr. Davis has been the principal investigator on multiple projects funded by the National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other federal and state organizations, and regularly collaborates with diverse partners from local to international levels. She served as the Editor-in-Chief for the Citizen Science: Theory and Practice journal, a reviewer for multiple education and science peer-reviewed publications, a board member for the Citizen Science Association and the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education, the chair for the 2015 North American Association for Environmental Education Research Symposium, and an evaluator, advisor and reviewer for numerous national committees, proposal panels, and projects linked to public engagement with science. Her work was recognized through the 2017 UMCES Presidential Excellence in Application Award.