Paula R.L. Heron is a Professor of Physics at the University of Washington. She holds a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the University of Western Ontario. She joined the Physics Department at the University of Washington in 1995. Dr. Heron’s research focuses on the development of conceptual understanding and the development of formal reasoning skills. Dr. Heron is co-Founder and co-Chair of the biannual “Foundations and Frontiers in Physics Education Research” conference series, the premier venue for physics education researchers in North America. She has served on the Executive Committee of the APS Forum on Education, the Committee on Research in Physics Education of the AAPT and on the ad hoc National Research Council committee on the status and outlook for undergraduate physics education. She is Past Chair of the Executive Committee of the APS Topical Group on Physics Education Research. Dr. Heron co-chaired a joint task force of the APS and AAPT that produced the report Phys21: Preparing Physics Students for 21st Century Careers. She also serves as Associate Editor of Physical Review – PER. She was elected Fellow of the APS In 2007 and in 2008 she shared the APS Education award with colleagues Peter Shaffer and Lillian McDermott. Dr. Heron is a co-author on the upcoming 2nd Edition of Tutorials in Introductory Physics, a set of instructional materials that has been used in over 200 institutions in the US and that has been translated into German and Spanish.