2025 Nature Guardians

Art Borja is a dedicated middle school science teacher with 26 years of experience in the classroom and a deep passion for lifelong learning. Over the years, he has earned multiple degrees in biology, law, space science, astronomy and astrophysics, public health, and nursing, demonstrating his diverse academic interests and commitment to interdisciplinary education. Currently, he is furthering his expertise by pursuing a master’s degree in nursing education at Arizona State University and a doctorate in health sciences from the University of South Dakota.

Beyond formal education, Art is a strong advocate for hands-on, experiential STEM learning and actively seeks opportunities to bring real-world science into the classroom. He has been successful in securing grants to fund STEM initiatives, ensuring his students engage in cutting-edge, inquiry-based projects. Most recently, he was awarded a 2025 grant from the Arizona Space Consortium to participate in the Plant the Moon Challenge, where students experiment with lunar soil simulant to explore agricultural possibilities on the Moon. Additionally, he received a grant to attend NASA’s LiftOff program at Johnson Space Center in Houston, where he engaged in aerospace research and collaborated with fellow educators on enhancing STEM education.

Art’s dedication to curriculum development has also been recognized through his selection as a science educator fellow for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In this role, he developed educational materials on Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) for middle and high school students, helping young learners understand brain injuries, their effects and prevention strategies. His work in health sciences education aligns with his ongoing research and studies in nursing and public health, further enriching his approach to teaching.

As part of his commitment to professional development, Art was selected as a 2019 ambassador for the Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassadors Program (ACEAP). This prestigious program allowed him to travel to Chile and visit world-class observatories, including ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array), Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, and Gemini South. Through this experience, he gained firsthand insight into astronomical research and instrumentation, bringing back knowledge and resources to enhance his students’ understanding of astronomy and astrophysics. His ACEAP experience continues to influence his STEM outreach and advocacy, as he actively works to increase student engagement in space science.

Art’s passion for education extends beyond the classroom through field research projects that allow him to engage directly in scientific studies. He was awarded an Earthwatch fellowship that took him to the cloud forests of Ecuador, where he conducted research on climate change and biodiversity. His commitment to ecology and sustainability drives him to continuously explore environmental issues and integrate them into his teaching, inspiring students to consider their role in preserving the planet.

Outside of education, Art is an avid astrophotographer, capturing breathtaking images of celestial objects and sharing his passion for astronomy with others. He enjoys spending nights under the stars, photographing deep-sky objects, and engaging in citizen science projects related to observational astronomy. His love for science is matched by his enthusiasm for travel, often combining his adventures with scientific exploration.

At home, Art enjoys spending time with his wife, Andrea, and their two beloved four-legged children, Cid and Tiana. Whether he is teaching, researching, photographing the cosmos, or traveling to new destinations, Art remains deeply committed to inspiring curiosity and fostering a love of science in his students and the broader community. Through his dedication to STEM education, research and outreach, he continues to make a lasting impact on the next generation of scientists and critical thinkers.

Joel is an amateur astronomer and informal educator from Howard County, Maryland. Since retiring from 35 years as a family dentist in 2012, Joel has transformed a lifelong passion and devoted himself to promoting and teaching astronomy and space sciences. In 1997, Joel founded the Celestial Searchers, an after-school astronomy club for grades K-6. In 2000, he joined the Howard Astronomical League (HAL) and dedicated the next 15 years to spearheading efforts to build an innovative observatory for the club’s 1930’s handcrafted 12-inch f/6 Newtonian. HAL’s publicly accessible observatory and library opened in 2015. He has produced and presented live planetarium shows at the nearby Robinson Nature Center. As chair of the County’s Recreation & Parks Advisory Board for 10 years, Joel was a strong advocate for smart lighting solutions and light pollution education. In 2014, he was part of the initial group of NSF/NRAO/UNC/UChicago/ASP sponsored Skynet Junior Scholars leaders trained at Yerkes. The Skynet web portal grants secondary students access to a worldwide network of telescopes, including the PROMPT’s at Cerro Tololo. In Chile, Joel was proud to be part of the January 2018 Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassadors Program (ACEAP) cohort.

Joel is excited to bring the knowledge gained during his Mission Patagonia expedition back to Maryland as well as to the Dominican Republic, where he lives six months of the year. Over the past five years, Joel has embraced the work of his community’s Fundación Grupo Puntacana and their efforts to balance ecotourism with strong environmental sustainability practices.

Ed Ting is a well-known amateur astronomer whose works have appeared in Sky & Telescope, Skywatch, Discover, and Popular Mechanics magazines. He is a National Science Foundation ambassador to Chile and a NASA solar system ambassador. His science-themed YouTube channel gets two million views a year. In addition to his science writing, Ed’s creative works have appeared in literary journals. He is a past winner of the NH State Flash Fiction contest and was selected as Writer-in-Residence at the Noepe Center for the Fine Arts in Edgartown, Massachusetts, in 2016. Ed holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois, an MFA from New England College, and a MALS degree from Dartmouth, where he produced an award-winning thesis on astronomical imaging. He is a classical/New Age pianist, a retired bicycle racer and an enthusiastic fudge confectioner.