James Randy McGinnis

1957 - 2019

James Randy McGinnis passed away December 14, 2019, at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. He was a resident of Columbia and Ellicott City for 26 years. A passionate science educator at the University of Maryland, Randy led major national reforms that resulted in better and stronger professional development programs for pre-service and in-service teachers.

Randy was born July 9, 1957, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Melba and James McGinnis. He grew up as a military dependent in Tennessee, Maryland, Germany, South Carolina, and Georgia. In 1975 he graduated from Columbus High School in Columbus, Georgia. Coming from a low-income background, he funded his own way through college with scholarships and hard work and graduated in 1980 from the University of Georgia in Athens with honors, with a major in geology and a minor in philosophy. In 1981 he joined the United States Peace Corps as a teacher in a rural school in Swaziland, serving for three and one-half years. A leader in his school, he led his students to excellence on national exams in math and English. He also met his wife, Greta Swanson, there. They were married in 1986 in Pullman, Washington.

As a Peace Corps Fellow at Teacher's College, Columbia University, Randy completed a masters of arts in science education in 1987, and a masters of education in 1988. He and Greta spent a year in Oregon before he returned to the University of Georgia to graduate with a PhD in science education in 1992. Two daughters, Karin and Annika, were born in Georgia. A third daughter, Elise, was born in 1998 in Maryland.

In 1993, Randy, Greta and their two daughters moved to Columbia, Maryland, and Randy began a career as a professor of science education at the University of Maryland. Throughout his career, he earned numerous awards, including an Early Career Research Award in 1998, the Elevate Fellow for teaching in 2015, and Exceptional Scholarship in the College of Education in 2017. He served as co-editor and then editor-in-chief of the Journal of Research in Science Teaching from 2005 to 2011, and as president of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching (NARST), 2011-12.

He was a leader in his academic department, securing and leading major grants worth tens of millions of dollars in science education, including climate change and robotics education, and was a prodigious researcher. He was committed to diversity and inclusion in science education, through collaborations with Historically Black Institutions (HBI's), and research exploring the recruitment, preparation and retention of upper elementary/middle school science teachers, in particular those from traditionally underrepresented groups. As a professor, he was known for his intentional and caring individualized mentorship of his students, both undergraduate and graduate.

Randy was deeply involved with his family, proud of each of his daughters' accomplishments, and especially nurturing of Karin, his daughter with Down syndrome. He was perceptive of often-overlooked moments of beauty in life and loved to spend time in the outdoors. Summer vacations involved visits to Washington State and the American West, and camping trips to many beautiful natural parts of the country. He had a friendly, creative and humorous personality, known for easily making friends with people from all different backgrounds, and had a commitment to lifelong learning.

Randy is survived by his wife, Greta, and three daughters, Karin, Annika, and Elise.

Memorial service and donation arrangements are pending.