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Dragonfly Accolades and Assessments

Dragonfly Accolades and Awards

Project Dragonfly and the Dragonfly team have been recognized as outstanding leaders in the fields of education, conservation, and change-making with a number of select awards and accolades over the years.
Chris Myers winning Faculty Award

2024 John E. Dolibois Faculty Award for Innovation in Global Programming

Dragonfly co-founder and director Dr. Chris Myers was honored with two awards from his innovative global programming by Miami University’s College of Arts and Science and Global Initiatives. Read More
Michelle Szydlowski wins the AASA award

Dragonfly Visiting Assistant Professor honored by AASA

Dragonfly Visiting Assistant Professor Michelle Szydlowski Ph.D. has published a new book and has been honored by the Australasian Animal Studies Association (AASA) for an article she coauthored on presumed bias and for creating and hosting a conference on anthrozoology. Read More
Chris Corpus winning the Chairman's Award

Chairman's Award, Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce

Congratulations GFP graduate Chris Corpus '19, Dallas Zoo Director of Conservation and Earth Expeditions Community Learning Leader, for recieving the Chairman's Award from the Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce for his community work in Dallas, Texas. Way to go Chris! Read More.
#7 in Best Online Biology Master's

#7 in Best Online Biology Master's

Project Dragonfly is honored to have been ranked #7 in Best Online Biology Master's Degrees by EduMed. EduMed, an organization that helps students find medical and health career success, creates an annual ranking of online programs in a variety of areas—including Biology—that relate broadly to the allied health, medical, and nursing fields. Read More
Multiple NSF Grant Awards

Multiple NSF Grant Awards

Funded by National Science Foundation (NSF), Dragonfly was the first national magazine to feature children’s science investigations alongside professional scientists. Project Dragonfly was later awarded another NSF grant, Wild Research, focused on moving zoo visitors from "passive spectators to active investigators."
Miami's “Top 100 Faculty and Staff”

Miami's “Top 100 Faculty and Staff”

Since 2009, several members of the Project Dragonfly instructional team are recognized each year as "Top 100 Faculty and Staff" at Miami University. Awarded by Miami University’s Center for the Enhancement of Learning, Teaching, and University Assessment.
Jamie Bercaw Anzano

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Certificate

Dragonfly's Jamie Bercaw Anzano earns Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in Leadership Certificate. Anzano was part of a four-month pilot program designed to help them foster a welcoming and inclusive learning and professional environment at Miami University and became an empowered DEI leader at Miami. Read More.
Jill Korach

Global Outstanding Service Award, NAAEE

Dragonfly's Assistant Director of Field Programs Jill Korach was recognized by the North American Association for Environmental Education - NAAEE for Environmental Education's Outstanding Individual at the Global Level. Jill directs our Earth Expeditions programs, nurturing partnerships across the globe. Read More.
NAAEE logo

Outstanding Service Award, NAAEE

Congratulations Joshua York, naturalist and education supervisor at Five Rivers MetroParks and Earth Expeditions instructor, for receiving the Outstanding Service to Environmental Education Award from the North American Association for Environmental Education! Way to go Joshua! Read More.
Wild Hearts Zoo group photo

Humane Certified Zoo in Ohio

Congratulations to GFP alum Amanda Badger '15 (far right) whose Wild Hearts African Farm & Petting Zoo, which she created as part of her final master's coursework, has been named the first Humane Certified Zoo in Ohio! Badger said of her work, "I am really proud...Project Dragonfly changed my life in more ways than one. I am so grateful." Read More.
Jonathan Spencer

Clean Energy Leadership Award

AIP graduate Jonathan Spencer '23 was honored with the The Midwest Renewable Energy Association & Straubel Foundation Clean Energy Leadership Award for his work to empower citizens to launch sustainability commissions in their own municipalities. Read More.
Hellbent Film Wins Mutliple Awards

Hellbent Film Wins Mutliple Awards

GFP graduate Justin Grubb '21 is "hellbent" on fighting for environmental justice. In the "Hellbent" film he directed, he shares the story of a small Pennsylvanian town's fight to stop a fracking waste injection well and its horrific impacts on the local watershed and eastern hellbender salamander. The film's impact—overseen by GFP graduate T'Noya Thompson '18—has been extensive. Read More.

More Awards

We have so many more awards and accolades! Here is a sampling:

Dragonfly

NAAEE logoGlobal Outstanding Service Award, NAAEE

Project Dragonfly was awarded Outstanding Service to Environmental Education by an Organization at a Global Level. Awarded by the North American Association of Environmental Educators.

 

 

CCF logoDistinguished Conservation Partner Award, Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) 

Project Dragonfly was named the recipient of Cheetah Conservation Fund’s (CCF) Distinguished Conservation award in celebration of the Africa-based conservation organization’s 30th anniversary.

 

Richard StanossPhotograph on exhibit in U.S. National Portrait Gallery

Ricardo Stanoss is the first Argentinian to be featured at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. with his portrait of ecologist Tom Lovejoy currently on display at the Gallery. "This is by far my greatest achievement with or without a camera," said Stanoss. Read more on Facebook page and the CNN news page.

 

Emmy Award logoEmmy Award

DragonflyTV, the PBS children’s television series produced by TPT public television, won two Emmy Awards and led to the creation of the Emmy-Award winning television series SciGirls.

 

Parent's Choice Award logoThe Parents’ Choice Gold Award

Selected in over 200 sites by 3,700 parents, children, teachers, psychologist, pediatricians and other experts, the Parent’s Choice Gold Award, often referred to in the media as the Oscar of children’s media and toys, is a well known emblem of quality for parents and children. 

Students and Alumni

Grosvenor logo
Grosvenor Teacher Fellows by the National Geographic Society and Lindblad Expeditions

Several members of the Dragonfly team and students and alumni have been named a Grosvenor Teacher Fellow by the National Geographic Society and Lindblad Expeditions. These educators embark on expeditions around the world for professional learning. Read More.

 

 

American Association of Zoo Keepers logo
American Association of Zoo Keepers “Excellence in Journalism” Award

Kara DeLanty earned the American Association of Zoo Keepers “Excellence in Journalism” award. GFP graduate and Milwaukee County Zoo primate zookeeper Kara explains her research on zoo visitor perceptions regarding the conservation status of cotton-top tamarins, their appropriateness as pets, and shares how folks can help support the cotton-top tamarin. Read More.

 

 

Briana Yancy
Dragonfly Alumni named a fellow by National Sea Grant College Program and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Congratulations to AIP graduate Briana Yancy '21 who was named a fellow by National Sea Grant College Program and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)! The John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program matches fellows with “hosts” in the legislative and executive branches of government for a one-year paid immersive policy experience in the Washington, D.C. area. Since February 2023, Briana has been working in NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Lab. Read More.

Presidential award badge
Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching

President Joe Biden has named GFP grad Helen Corveleyn from Hopewell, N.J., as a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching! Congratulations Helen! You are an inspiration! Read More.

 
Elsi Miller
2023 Excellence in Conservation & Environmental Education Award

Elsi Miller, a current student in the Global Field Program, was the recipient of the 2023 Excellence in Conservation & Environmental Education Award from the Kansas Association for Conservation & Environmental Education! Elsi is among 10 educators from across Kansas recognized for demonstrating leadership and excellence and for teaching about the richness, diversity and importance of our Kansas natural resources! Read More.

 

Urban-Eco logo
Urban-Eco

Exciting news from some alumni: Urban-Eco, formed by AIP graduate Lindsey Hagen and GFP grads & sisters Jenny & Megan Hinz, received tax-exempt status and can now award travel scholarships to high school students. To be eligible, students submit short videos which are posted on the Urban-Eco website. Bravo! Read More.

 

Miami beveled M
Honeywell Green Boot Camp

Nagy, Leah (2014, June). Among 70 educators chosen worldwide to participate in a week-long workshop focusing on green practices and conservation-based classrooms, Honeywell Green Boot Camp, San Diego, CA.

  

Mark PlucinskiMt. Lookout Ohio's Citizen of the Year award

Hats off to AIP graduate Mark Plucinski who was recently named Mt. Lookout Ohio's Citizen of the Year as the result of a project that he completed during his coursework. After surveying the not-so-pollinator friendly Mt. Lookout Square garden, Mark presented his data to the local community council and was approved to upgrade the garden. Mark is married to our very own Karen Plucinski. Thanks to the Plucinski duo + a team of volunteers completing the upgrades, more pollinators are visiting the garden location (as determined by a follow-up survey)! Read More.

 

 

Austin ParkerGFP Graduate starts nonprofit Pelecanus

AIP graduate Austin Parker ‘18 co-founded the conservation storytelling non-profit organization, Pelecanus, with his brother, Taylor. Named for the California Brown Pelican brought back from the brink of extinction, Pelecanus hosts conservation podcasts. Read More.

Dragonfly Assessments

To evaluate programmatic alumni outcomes, Project Dragonfly conducted a survey of students who had graduated from the Advanced Inquiry Program and Global Field Program from December 2012 to May 2022. The Alumni Survey contained 26 questions on:

• Overall Impression of the Program
• Financing Studies
• Professional Outcomes
• Skills Gained
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Post-graduation Engagement

The Project Dragonfly Alumni Survey Results Report provides a summary of our findings.

Miami CTE logo


Project Dragonfly was recognized by the Miami University Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) for its assessment work in conducting the alumni survey, leveraging alumni feedback, and improving teaching and learning at Miami. Remarkably, a total of 568 (30 percent) alumni responded. Read More.

Contact Project Dragonfly

111 Upham Hall
Oxford, Ohio
Est. 1994