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.

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.

Pathways to Environmental Literacy
This new project focuses on many aspects of environmental literacy with an emphasis on Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Water.

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 to develop a series of 20 minute shows for it that can be used for education and outreach. It is especially useful for learning at extremely large or small scales or over time. (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)

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)

Thomas Edison Exhibit ( Informal )
I developed the content and graphic design for a permanent exhibit of Edison artifacts at the Discovery Science Center. (1999)

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.