Dr. Ron Blonder is a Professor in the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. She is the head of the Chemistry Group and the head of the Rothschild-Weizmann Master’s Program for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Prof. Blonder earned her BSc in Chemistry, with distinction, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1993. She then completed her doctoral studies in Chemistry at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Her research focuses on chemistry teachers’ professional development in the context of contemporary science using innovative technological tools and environments. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed and invited papers and book chapters in which she has explored chemistry teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and knowledge development when teachers learn contemporary research in chemistry (mainly nanochemistry) and when they incorporate technological tools in their chemistry teaching. She has also investigated differentiated instruction in heterogeneous chemistry classes with and without the aid of technology to promote personalization in chemistry teaching. Dr. Blonder has applied the results of her educational research to chemistry teachers’ professional development.