Year Honored: 2023

Biography

Over a career spanning 50 years, Dr. Bonnie Meszaros has championed, coordinated and delivered professional learning programs for teachers of economics and personal finance, ensuring that Delaware educators know how to teach this critical subject matter in grades K-12.

She is assistant professor of economics at the University of Delaware (UD) and associate director for the UD Center for Economics Education and Entrepreneurship (CEEE).

Throughout her five-decade-long career as an educator, Meszaros has effectively outfitted teachers in grades K-12 so that they could bring accessible, engaging, and meaningful economics, personal finance and entrepreneurship education into their classrooms. Carlos Asarta, director of the UD CEEE, said, “When it comes to curriculum development, Bonnie is a leader in the field.” Her work has had state, national and international impact. She continues to publish research and pedagogical articles used by other economic educators and policy makers to influence educational practices and policy.

As a testament to her influence and legacy, state and national organizations have created annual awards in her honor. In 2019, UD CEEE created the Meszaros Economic Educator of the Year Award, recognizing a Delaware teacher demonstrating a sustained history of contribution to economic education. In 2023, the National Association of Economic Educators created the Meszaros Curriculum Leadership Award, presented to an educator especially successful in developing K-12 economic curricular resources.

Meszaros generously shares her time and expertise mentoring countless educators throughout the state, the nation and abroad. She holds an undergraduate degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and both masters and Ph. D degrees from UD. She lives with husband, Craig, in Wilmington; daughter, Morgan, resides in DE with husband James and their two sons.