Sheila Smith, MMNSF Board Member

Sheila Smith, Board Member MS Museum of Natural Science Foundation

Meet Sheila Smith, MMNSF Board Member

March 17, 2025

Sheila Smith worked as a science teacher/central office district administrator in Mississippi public schools for over thirty years.

During that time, she served:

  • as the National Science Foundation Project Director for a multi-million dollars mathematics and science grant for the Jackson Public School District.

  • as co-principal investigator for a MSP (math and science partnership) grant with Jackson State University.

  • on the board of the Mississippi Science Teaching Association and was elected as president of the organization.

  • as National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) District VII Director (AR, MS, and LA) and National Biology Teachers Association (NABT)  Regional Coordinator (AL, FL, GA, LA, MS,  and PR).

She has received many awards during her educational career:

  • Mississippi Outstanding Biology Teacher

  • Hinds County Teacher of the Year

  • Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching State Finalist

  • Radio Shack National Teacher Award

  • AT&T Technology Teacher Award

  • Governor’s Fellow Award.

  • She has also been awarded two Woodrow Wilson Fellowships to study at Princeton University and Organization of Tropical Studies in Costa Rica, a Fulbright Fellowship to Japan and an National Geographic Fellowship to Kenya.

She has and continues to serve on evaluation committees related to curriculum development, assessments, and funding agencies throughout the country.