Members of the AAPS Board play a crucial role in shaping the future of this Association. As a working board responsible for the governance and oversight of a growing nonprofit organization, the makeup of the Board is essential to its success. For a detailed overview of the roles of Board Members, find a list of AAPS Board Member Responsibilities here.
In line with the mission and strategic plan of AAPS, the Governance Committee has sought candidates with experience and skills in fundraising, equity and inclusion, and management of non-profit organizations. We encourage those who have skills in creating sponsorships and organizational partnerships to apply (more details here).
A priority for the 2026 Board cohort is to engage new Board members who have skills and experience in fundraising, development, and diversifying revenue streams.
This year the Board says farewell and thank you to both Kalman Mannis and Michael Bear. We are grateful to both for their time, insights, and work on behalf of the Association. The balance of the ongoing Board can be found here. On this year’s ballot is one new candidate as well as four seated members up for re-election. Details for each are listed below.
All members in good standing of AAPS will receive a ballot by mail for voting to take place beginning Monday, June 8th, 2026. The voting period stays open for two weeks, through COB on Monday, June 22nd, 2026. Issues with receiving or using a ballot? Check for emails from info -at- citizenscience.org, or reach out to that address with questions. Questions about nominations or candidates? Email nominations -at- citizenscience.org.
Seeking election:
Malin Clyde
Malin Ely Clyde is an educator with New Hampshire Sea Grant whose current work focuses on participatory science teaching and training. She recently retired as an Extension Specialist in Natural Resources at the University of New Hampshire where she focused on community volunteer action, including establishing a collaborative volunteer platform (Nature Groupie) and developing online and graduate courses in participatory science methods, the latter of which she still teaches through Sea Grant. She is passionate about caring for the land through stewardship and getting more people involved in participatory science. She earned degrees from Yale University and the College of Forest Resources at the University of Washington, but has also amassed experience and inspiration from landowners, colleagues and volunteers throughout her career of teaching, workshops, and community-based work.
Up for re-election:
Jessica Bean
Dr. Jessica Bean is a scientist and educator at the Museum of Paleontology at UC Berkeley. Jessica is the Director of Outreach and Science for the FieldScope participatory science platform. She is also the leader of the Understanding Global Change Project, designing tools for learning about Earth as a dynamic, interconnected system. She partners with K-12 educators across the country to develop and implement new instructional units, professional development programs, and online tools for learning about the nature and process of science and climate change. As a research scientist, she studies the effects of climate and environmental change on marine invertebrates along the California coast.
Jay Benforado
Jay Benforado retired from EPA in 2022 after a long career as a senior executive in the Federal government. In his role as EPA’s Chief Innovation Officer, he was the Agency coordinator for citizen science where he encouraged use of participatory science approaches in environmental programs at EPA as well as state, local and tribal governments. As co-chair of the Federal Community of Practice for Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science (FedCCS), a grassroots effort, he workd to expand and improve the US government’s use of crowdsourcing, citizen science, and similar public participation techniques. As part of his Federal career, he worked as a wetland ecologist at the US Fish and Wildlife Service and also a Foreign Service Office (senior advisor on sustainable development) at the State Department. For the past three years Jay has provided volunteer leadership for a project of the Environmental Protection Network (a nonprofit safeguarding public health and the environment) that provides technical support for community NGOs that received EPA grants for community air monitoring. Jay currently serves as AAPS Board Chair.
Alison Cawood
Dr. Alison Cawood is the Associate Director for Public Engagement at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC). In this role, she oversees SERC’s environmental education, participatory science, and professional training programs, and works to make SERC science relevant and accessible to a wide range of audiences. Alison has been actively involved with AAPS since 2014, serving as an AAPS board member for the past three years. She looks forward to continuing to find ways to serve and support the participatory science community.
Cheyanne Olson
Dr. Cheyanne Olson is an Assistant Professor at Northeastern State University, specializing in freshwater ecology. Her research focuses on the application of citizen science for water quality monitoring, a field in which she is highly passionate. At Northeastern State University, Dr. Olson teaches a variety of courses in freshwater science, including limnology and aquatic biology. Dr. Olson volunteers and serves as a board member with Oklahoma’s Blue Thumb, a renowned citizen science organization dedicated to protecting and monitoring the state’s water resources. Additionally, she contributes to the advancement of scientific research and education as a board member of the Oklahoma Academy of Science.
