Award III the Honorary Emeritus Membership. Election as an Honorary Emeritus Member is the highest recognition within the power of ASTE to confer. The ASTE Awards Committee approved and the ASTE Board voted to honor Dr. Ronald K. Atwood, Professor Emeritus from the University of Kentucky for this award.

Dr. Ronald K. Atwood is Professor Emeritus at the University of Kentucky, home base for 42 of the 45 years he has worked in science education. During the last two decades Dr. Atwood's research and publications have focused on conceptual understanding and conceptual change. Throughout his career Dr. Atwood has maintained strong ties with K-16 education through an extensive series of collaborative professional development projects. Most recently he served as co-PI for the Appalachian Math Science Partnership (AMSP), with primary responsibility for the science strand, involving 51 small school districts and nine colleges and universities. Consistent with his continuing concern about both preservice and inservice teachers' understanding of science concepts, the AMSP work included collaborative efforts to improve undergraduate science classes frequently completed by preservice science teachers. Dr. Atwood has consistently contributed to professional science education organizations including the national ASTE and the regional Mid-Atlantic ASTE.