Emily Hawbaker has always had energy and a passion for science and education. After graduating from Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Earth science and a minor in science education, she began teaching eighth grade science. Her school was chosen to take part in an energy education project where students learn about their energy use and then teach others, with the help of the National Energy Education Development (NEED) curriculum and materials. Emily saw her students come alive with the NEED program, where she is now curriculum director. In this capacity she shares her passion for energy education as a facilitator of teacher and student events and programming across the country and around the world.

Liz Lee Heinecke has loved science since she was old enough to inspect her first butterfly. After working in molecular biology research for 10 years and earning her master’s degree, she left the lab to kick off a new chapter in her life as a stay-at-home mom. Soon, she found herself sharing her love of science with her three kids as they grew, chronicling their science adventures on her KitchenPantryScientist website. Her desire to share her enthusiasm for science led to regular television appearances, an opportunity to serve as an Earth Ambassador for NASA, and the creation of an iPhone app. Her goal is to make it simple for parents to do science with kids of all ages, and for kids to experiment safely on their own. Liz graduated from Luther College and received her master’s degree in bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She is the author of Kitchen Science Lab for Kids, Kitchen Science Lab for Kids: Edible Edition, Outdoor Science Lab for Kids, STEAM Lab for Kids, Sheet Pan Science, and Little Learning Labs: Kitchen Science for Kids. Her namesake series, The Kitchen Pantry Scientist, pairs illustrated biographies with engaging hands-on activities inspired by their work. The books in that series include: Chemistry for Kids, Biology for Kids, Physics for Kids, Math for Kids, and Ecology for Kids.