Darlene Cavalier is a pioneering advocate and organizer who has fundamentally expanded who gets to participate in science. As founder of SciStarter, she created a digital platform connecting millions of people to citizen science opportunities, transforming the landscape of scientific research by breaking down barriers that have historically excluded non-professionals from meaningful participation in discovery. Her work reflects a powerful conviction: that science belongs to everyone, and that diverse participation strengthens both the scientific process and communities themselves.
Cavalier's journey demonstrates remarkable vision and persistence. After earning degrees from Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied the role of non-formal scientists in science, she launched SciStarter as a collection of smart web tools and event-based organization connecting people to more than 1,200 registered and vetted citizen science projects, events, and tools. SciStarter has grown to facilitate millions of citizen science contributions globally, spanning disciplines from environmental monitoring to astronomy to medical research. Her founding of Science Cheerleaders—a non-profit network of current and former NFL, NBA, and college cheerleaders pursuing STEM careers—illustrates her broader commitment to challenging stereotypes about who belongs in science and demonstrating that scientific participation takes many forms.
Cavalier's leadership extends across multiple initiatives advancing public science literacy and engagement. As a founding board member of the Citizen Science Association, co-editor of "The Rightful Place of Science: Citizen Science," and author of "The Science of Cheerleading," she has documented, legitimized, and elevated citizen science as a rigorous approach to research. Her recognition as a National Geographic Explorer and Fellow, along with her position as a professor of practice at Arizona State University's School for the Future of Innovation in Society, reflects how profoundly she has influenced how science institutions now view public participation.