Title: Senior Director of Research
Company: COSI’s Center for Research and Evaluation
Location: Columbus, Ohio, United States
Joe E. Heimlich, PhD, Senior Director of Research at COSI’s Center for Research and Evaluation, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for dedication, achievements, and leadership in Research and Education.
Dr. Heimlich is a leader in education and research who is recognized for his distinguished tenure that spans over 40 years. A professor emeritus at The Ohio State University, he taught on campus from 1981 to 2014. Shortly before retiring from the classroom, he joined the Lifelong Learning Group (now Center of Science and Industry, or COSI) in 2011 as a principal researcher, then senior researcher in 2012. Since 2018, Dr. Heimlich has been the senior director of research for COSI’s Center for Research and Evaluation.
Located in Columbus, Ohio, COSI is a leading science, technology, and industry learning partner and nationally recognized social science laboratory focusing on science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. COSI provides hands-on experiences for individuals of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. COSI is involved in federally funded projects across the U.S. and internationally, primarily focused on studying how people learn in school settings.
Since joining COSI, Dr. Heimlich has been instrumental in establishing its social science laboratory. He has collaborated with various research teams within the museum and has been involved with multiple initiatives. Dr. Heimlich is exploring several additional projects in collaboration with his colleagues over the coming years before fully retiring.
Highly educated, Dr. Heimlich has held a Bachelor of Arts in communication arts, theater, and dance from Capital University since 1979. He also received a Master of Arts in public policy education and a Doctor of Philosophy in educational psychology from The Ohio State University in 1989 and 1990, respectively.
In addition to his primary career objectives, Dr. Heimlich has been affiliated with several professional and civic organizations that have been instrumental in his success and professional growth. He is active in the North American Association for Environmental Education, the American Evaluation Association, the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education, the Association of Science and Technology Centers, and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Additionally, Dr. Heimlich has been serving in various longstanding roles, including as the LGBT and arts and culture TIGS, blog coordinator and program co-chair for the American Evaluation Association since 1999, as the president of the Visitor Studies Association since 2013 and as the chair and board of directors for Avail since 2016. Previously, he spent years in various roles affiliated with Friends of Metro Parks, the Franklin Park Conservatory education advisory committee and the American Association for Environmental Education
Dr. Heimlich has become recognized for his writing contributions. In 1994, he co-authored “Developing Teaching Style in Adult Education” via Jossey-Bass. He also edited “Trading Zones in Environmental Education.”
Among many career accomplishments, Dr. Heimlich was appointed as one of the first two U.S. representatives to the World Congress for Environmental Education, a role he upheld for over a decade. He also played a significant role in waste management and global environmental education during his teaching career.
In recognition of his professional success, Dr. Heimlich received the Walter E. Jeske Award from the North American Association for Environmental Education in 2013. He attributes many of his career accomplishments to his parents, whose unwavering support has helped him recognize the importance of hard work, dedication and the pursuit of passion.
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