News Blog (last updated May 29, 2008) |
Colorado Getaways Coverage
On May 10th, 2008, I was featured leading my 'Reading the Rocks' field trip at Lory State Park on the Denver-CBS TV show called Colorado Getaways.
(Watch Online)
New Museum Board
In April, 2008 and after about 4 years of serving on the board of the Discovery Science Center, I was selected to join the new board of directors for the merged Discovery Science Center and Fort Collins Museum. (Press release)
GetWET Press Coverage
Students from Rocky Mountain High School working in the field at the GetWET were featured in the Fort Collins Coloradoan on Sept 29, 2007. (Read Article) |
Clean Energy Supercluster
In January, I joined the Clean Energy Supercluster team part-time with hopes of expanding my science education interests in the direction of clean energy. (Learn more)
RamCT Instructional Design Assistance
CNS Faculty can check their myRamCT course
list for this new online learning community or click here.
Journal of Undergraduate Research in the Sciences Launch
The new CSU undergraduate journal is up and running and even has its first article. Spread the word! (Check it out) |
My
campus hours are 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Monday through Friday.
B311 Natural and Environmental Sciences Building
Phone: (970) 491-2845
(this also rings my cell phone)
Send
me email at:  |
My professional
interests lie at the intersections of formal, informal, and field-based
science education. I particularly enjoy sharing my enthusiasm for
scientific problem solving with students, teachers,
and the general public.
I have gravitated toward these intersections, in part, because I see them as areas of greatest need in the big picture of science education today and because many scientists say that they were inspired to become scientists outside of the classroom.
I believe that doing science in multiple settings, at multiple scales and in all types of weather leads to a well-balanced science education. A solid understanding of science is becoming increasingly important as humans put more and more pressure on the Earth's system.
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Critical Intersections in Science Education
- Formal science education is what takes place in the classroom, laboratory, and lecture hall.
- Informal science education occurs at science centers, nature centers, natural history museums, planetariums, and zoos.
- Field-based science education is any science education that takes place outdoors. For example, ranger programs at parks, environmental monitoring programs like CoCoRaHS and Journey North, and even gardening.
The table below shows how my past and present projects fit in with these areas. |
My
roles in these projects typically have been in the areas of
teacher
professional development, instructional materials development,
web development, and grant writing.
(Letters in parentheses correspond to the interest categories on the diagram
above)
Current |
|
GetWET
Observatory ( B )
I am a Co-Principal Investigator on an outdoor educational groundwater
lab on the CSU campus. My role is K-12 teacher professional development
and outreach. (learn
more) |
Photo coming soon |
World Window ( Formal & Informal )
World Window is a portable interactive stereo visualization system that I have put together in collaboration with the College of Natural Sciences Dean's office and CSMATE. I plan o develop a series of 20 minute shows for it that can be used for education and outreach. I had a successful pilot test of it at Rocky Mountain High School on May 28, 2008. |
 |
Clean Energy Supercluster
In January 2008, I joined the CSU Clean Energy Supercluster in the role of Chief of Staff. I am interested in expanding my science education content expertise in the area of clean energy. (learn more) |
|
CSU
Journal of Undergraduate Research in the Sciences ( Formal
)
I developed this online
journal for the College of Natural Sciences and currently serve
as the Editor. (learn
more) |
|
MST
Day ( A )
For the past several years, I have been involved with the El Centro
Math, Science, and Technology Day at CSU. One of the many highlights for me was developing a multimedia
theater presentation on a Mexican volcano called Paricutin. (learn
more) |
|
CSEF
(
Formal )
The Colorado Science
and Engineering Fair is growing, but still lacks a significant
field-based research component. So far, I have only been helping
in a small way, but hope to do more in the future. (learn
more) |
|
Trouble
in the Rubble! ( C )
This is a hands-on science adventure in Rocky Mountain National
Park. It was recently featured in Rocky Mountain Parent Magazine and is available at the park's visitor centers. (Read Article) (2007-) |
|
Geology
of Lory State Park ( B & C )
This is a self-guided hands-on science activity booklet for Lory
State Park. I led a field trip that was covered on the Colorado Getaways TV show. (Watch) (2000-) (more) |
Recent |
|
Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory ( D )
I was part of a team of 240 scientists from 12 countries who developed a detailed conceptual design for a national underground laboratory at the Henderson Mine near Empire, Colorado. I was on the Broader Impacts committee
responsible for designing the education and outreach facilities and programs. Unfortunately, we lost the competition to South Dakota's Homestake Mine. It really was an amazing experience though! (2005-2006) (learn more) |
|
DWEL ( Formal & A )
The Digital Water Education Library is a sub-collection within the
National Science Digital Library. It is a collection of web-based
educational resources. Click
here to browse the collection. I led the development (along
with Courtney Butler and Jaime Whitlock) of the resource review
tool that allowed teachers from across the nation to work in teams
to scour the web to find the best online water education resources.
(2002 - 2004) |
|
GLOBE ( B )
I was briefly (2004) a member of the executive committee and an
Earth Science Education Specialist for this international NASA program.
I also led the development of two teacher/student guides for the
program entitled Student Research and Map Tools. (Visit
Globe Website) |
 |
Center
for Learning and Teaching in the West ( Formal )
This was a multifaceted five year (2001-2006) project where I learned
the ins and outs of all aspects of teacher professional development.
|
|
Korean
Science Teachers Project ( Formal & B )
In 2002, I taught a two week intensive lab and field-based Earth
Science course for 24 Korean Earth Science teachers. I had to use
an interpreter because only a few of the teachers spoke English. |
|
Visiting
Assistant Professor of Geology ( Formal & B )
Between 1997 and 2001 I taught various undergraduate courses at
Lehigh and CSU. The courses were physical geology, historical geology,
sedimentology and stratigraphy, and paleontology. I particularly
enjoyed teaching labs and in the field. |
|
Thomas
Edison Exhibit ( Informal )
I developed the content and graphic design for a permanent exhibit
of Edison artifacts at the Discovery
Science Center. (1999) |
|
Spyhopper
Camp-in Series ( Informal )
The local mall hosted about ten life-sized robotic sea creatures
scattered throughout the mall. Someone at the Discovery Science
Center got the idea that it would be fun to get ~100 different kids
together each week for a month to pitch tents and sleep among the
sharks and giant squids in the mall. So, I converted a vacant store
front to a temporary hands-on science activity center and coordinated
many great volunteers. As you might expect, I do not recommend camping
in a mall. (1998) |
P
I have been part
of the staff at the Center for Science, Mathematics, and Technology
Education at Colorado State University since September 2001 appointed as a Research Scientist II. In this
short period of time, I have had many opportunities to work with great
people (like Stephen Thompson, Christine Jones, Mike Viney, Nancy Kellogg,
Paul Kennedy, Annette Geiselman, Brian Jones, and Rich Salas to name
a few) and participate in the wide range of interesting projects listed above.
In
addition to my position at CSMATE, I am on the board of directors
of the new non-profit corporation arm of the new institution that joins the Discovery Science Center with the Fort Collins Museum, on the advisory
committee for the "Identifying a Framework for University-sponsored Informal
Science Education" project at CSU, jointly appointed as an assistant
professor in the Department of Geosciences in order to serve on graduate
committees for the School of Education, and WebCT instructional designer for the College of Natural Sciences.
I
received my Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from Lehigh University
in Bethlehem, PA, my M.S. in Geology from Western Washington University
in Bellingham, WA, and my B.A. in Geology from Whitman College
in Walla Walla, WA.
Click
here for full vita |
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