The EvoKE Executive Board
The executive board is responsible for the social, administrative and financial management of the association, and for representing the association in and out of court.
Patrícia Pessoa
PRESIDENT
Science Education Researcher at CIDTFF, University of Aveiro
Visiting Assistant Professor at the School of Education, Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal
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Patrícia Pessoa is a science education researcher at CIDTFF.UA working at the intersection of evolution education, sustainability, and socioscientific issues, with a particular focus on primary education. Her research explores how evolutionary literacy can support future-oriented competencies, helping learners understand and respond to sustainability challenges.
She holds a PhD in Didactics of Science and Technology and has developed conceptual frameworks, assessment tools, and educational activities that integrate biological evolution, sustainability, and real-world issues. Her work includes empirical studies on students’ evolutionary literacy and attitudes toward biodiversity conservation, as well as the production of open-access educational resources.
Patrícia is also actively involved in teacher education and professional development and is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at the School of Education in Porto. Across all of her work, she is driven by a commitment to making evolutionary knowledge accessible, socially relevant, and meaningful in both formal and non-formal learning contexts.
Isabell K. Adler
VICE-PRESIDENT & TREASURER
Science Education Researcher at University of Teacher Education Bern, Switzerland
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Isabell K. Adler is a science education researcher at the University of Teacher Education Bern, Switzerland. She holds a PhD in Biology Education and has conducted empirical research on how kindergarten children develop and understand ideas about evolution. Her postdoctoral work focuses on learners’ conceptions of evolution, the role of intuitive reasoning in science learning, and metaconceptual interventions that help students regulate intuitive theories. She also has a growing research interest in plant awareness.
Alongside her research, Isabell teaches Nature–Human–Society, an integrated primary education subject comparable to science and social studies, and is actively involved in teacher education. She also works as an educational guide at the Natural History Museum in Zurich, where she engages school groups and families in learning about dinosaurs.
Georgios Ampatzidis
BOARD MEMBER
Assistant Professor at the University of Thessaly, Greece
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Georgios Ampatzidis is an Assistant Professor at the University of Thessaly, Greece, specializing in teaching and learning about nature and the environment. He holds a Biology degree, a Master’s and PhD in Educational Sciences, and a Master’s in Creative Writing. He teaches at both the undergraduate and the postgraduate level, with courses spanning science education, environmental education, and educational research methods. His professional research revolves around science education, environmental education, and the nature of science.
Georgios also serves as an associate editor for Research in Science Education and the Journal of Biological Education, and sits on the editorial boards of the International Journal of Science Education, Science & Education, Journal of Science Teacher Education, and the ESERA Springer book series Contributions from Science Education Research.
The EvoKE General Assembly
The board of the general assembly is responsible for running the General Assemblies, calling elections and drawing up the minutes.
Xana Sá-Pinto
Rita Ponce
Lucía Vázquez-Ben
The EvoKE Supervisory Board
The supervisory board is responsible for overseeing the management’s administrative and financial acts, auditing its accounts and reports, and giving its opinion on acts that involve an increase in expenditure or a decrease in income.
Tania Jenkins
Uroš Savković
Evangelia Mavrikaki