Wonderful Women Wednesday: Dr. Carol O’Donnell

Each week, the Archives features a woman who has been a groundbreaker at the Smithsonian, past or present, in a series titled Wonderful Women Wednesday.

Dr. Carol O’Donnell has been the director of the Smithsonian Science Education Center since 2015. She builds awareness around K-12 science education reform, supports professional growth programs for teachers, and oversees research and curricular resource development. 

Before arriving at the Smithsonian, O’Donnell was a research and policy analyst at the U.S. Department of Education between 2007 and 2015. 

O’Donnell earned her bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Pittsburgh, a master’s degree in geosciences from Mississippi State University, and doctorate in curriculum and instruction from George Washington University.

O'Donnell speaks.

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