[RNCSE] A letter from NCSE's executive director — July 2026

Dear NCSE Supporters,

Last year marked the 20th anniversary of the landmark Kitzmiller v. Dover decision that teaching “intelligent design” in public school science classrooms is unconstitutional. Monya Baker wrote a wonderful retrospective about the lessons learned for Issues in Science and Technology. And now, Lauri Lebo, a reporter who helped the world understand the importance of the trial as it unfolded, has written an article for RNCSE that explores the political climate in Dover and south central Pennsylvania since 2005 and how the fight continues. Each year we celebrate Kitzmiller and the victory it represents, but Lebo’s article is a good reminder that we must always be on our guard.

Speaking of Lebo, she is one of six recipients of the 2026 Friend of Darwin and Friend of the Planet awards. I’m so excited to honor these amazing people and organizations and encourage you to learn more about each. In addition, this year, I couldn’t be more thrilled to announce two new Friend of Darwin and Friend of the Planet awards that focus on excellence in K–12 science education. Our inaugural awardees, Blake Touchet and Jeff Grant, are amazing educators deeply committed to science education who have longstanding connections to NCSE.

Also in this issue, NCSE’s Glenn Branch uncovers the inclusion of the Scopes trial in a comic book series called True-Man. The Scopes panels were created 12 years ago. How and why did they find their way into True-Man the Maximortal Comics #3? You can thank Branch for the answer!

And of course no issue of RNCSE would be complete without our beloved book reviews. We have three in this issue covering Richard Dawkins’s latest, a book focusing on the evolution of the oak tree, and climate change education across disciplinees.

I, like the Citizens for Dover Schools mentioned in Lebo’s article, have no illusions. We are in a fight right now to maintain the integrity of the science endeavor. The fight is local. It’s regional. And it’s certainly national. But as we engage in these battles, let’s also take time to honor those who fight alongside us. Let’s remember to support our science teachers who are educating the next generation, particularly as the new school year begins. Let’s stand up for science, and for one another in our NCSE community.