Professional Title
Postdoctoral Researcher
Organization/Institution
About Me (Bio)
I am a postdoctoral researcher on the DRK-12 project “Scientific Data in Schools: Measuring the efficacy of an innovative approach to integrating quantitative reasoning in secondary science”. I received my B.S. in Natural Resources from Northland College and my Ph.D. from Michigan State University in Zoology and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior. For my dissertation research I examined ecological consequences of individual-level behavioral variation in sunfish.
During graduate school I was able to work in 12+ rural Michigan school districts and learn from seasoned partner teachers through the Kellogg Biological Station’s K-12 Partnership. I co-founded Data Nuggets - short classroom activities designed to bring authentic data and cutting-edge scientific research into K-16 classrooms. My experience in both ecological research and science education inform the way I think about innovations for K-12 education as I am constantly incorporating both worlds while engaged with data-intensive curriculum development, teacher PD, and outreach efforts.
During graduate school I was able to work in 12+ rural Michigan school districts and learn from seasoned partner teachers through the Kellogg Biological Station’s K-12 Partnership. I co-founded Data Nuggets - short classroom activities designed to bring authentic data and cutting-edge scientific research into K-16 classrooms. My experience in both ecological research and science education inform the way I think about innovations for K-12 education as I am constantly incorporating both worlds while engaged with data-intensive curriculum development, teacher PD, and outreach efforts.