The Mayborn celebrates Dr. Michael Scullin as a recipient of the 2026 Mary A. Carskadon Outstanding Educator Award

The Mayborn Museum is proud to celebrate Dr. Michael Scullin, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Baylor University, as a recipient of the 2026 Mary A. Carskadon Outstanding Educator Award from the Sleep Research Society. The award recognizes excellence in education related to sleep and circadian research, honoring individuals who have made significant and sustained contributions to the field.

For more than a decade, Dr. Scullin and his research team have partnered with the Mayborn Museum to translate cutting-edge sleep science into engaging public experiences. Through the museum’s Broader Impacts initiatives, thousands of families have explored interactive “Sleep is Good!” pop-up exhibits featuring hands-on activities such as a children’s polysomnography game, Sleep Superhero Challenges, and the beloved inflatable dinosaur fitted with a CPAP mask, “REM-ee the dino-SNORE-us.” The collaboration recently culminated in the installation of a permanent exhibit, Sleep Lab: The Exhibit, further expanding access to sleep science education in Central Texas.

Dr. Scullin earned his bachelor’s degree at Furman University and his PhD at Washington University in St. Louis, where his research began focusing on the intersections of sleep, cognition, and learning. He completed a sleep-focused postdoctoral fellowship at Emory University and has since become a national leader in sleep education, advancing programming at the SLEEP Meeting and serving in multiple leadership roles within the Sleep Research Society.

Dr. Scullin will be formally recognized during the plenary session at SLEEP 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. His award reflects not only excellence in higher education, but also the power of museum–university partnerships to bring impactful research into the community.