In 2007, Heron was named a Fellow of the American Physical Society, after a nomination from the APS Forum on Education, "for her leadership in the physics education research community and development and active dissemination of research-based curricula that significantly impact physics instruction throughout the world". She was part of the University of Washington Physics Education Group that was honored in 2008 with the APS Excellence in Physics Education Award, "for leadership in advancing research methods in physics education, promoting the importance of physics education research as a subdiscipline of physics, and developing research-based curricula that have improved students' learning of physics from kindergarten to graduate school".