2004 - 2005 Distinguished Speakers

PDF (Acrobat (PDF) 837kB Oct7 04) of 2004-2005 Distinguished Speakers Program Flyer

Ed Geary
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Science Education Program Manager
Ed is passionate about revolutionizing Earth and space science education in grades K-16 and co-editor of "Blueprint for Change" report. He is currently supporting Digital Library and GLOBE program activities at UCAR. Ed is past President of NAGT, a former professor of Geology and Education and past Director of Education and Outreach at the GSA. He has given numerous talks and workshops related to geoscience education reform, professional development, classroom use of technology, scientist-teacher-student partnerships, and development of digital library collections.

Karen Havholm
Department of Geology, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
Karen has taught both at the college and pre-college level, having taught high school science and elementary school in Iran. She currently teaches an Earth Science course for elementary education majors, and has considerable experience working with pre-college teachers in professional development activities using a variety of workshop models. She continues her research in eolian sedimentology, always involving undergraduate collaborators in her projects.

Michelle Hall
Science Education Solutions, Inc. Los Alamos, New Mexico
Michelle is an assistant professor of Geosciences with a research emphasis on geoscience education. She is active in teacher preparation and professional development and has developed curriculum for the high school and introductory college level student that uses GIS to investigate Earth processes. She is also one of the leaders of the education and outreach effort associated with the EarthScope project.

Sharon Locke
USM Research Institutes, University of Southern Maine
Sharon has co-directed three national programs that support increased participation of students with disabilities in science, including the NSF-funded Eastern Regional Alliance for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (EAST). She led development of the Earth System Science Ideabook, a resource for applying universal design principles to earth science teaching and learning, and has lectured internationally on the accessibility of the geosciences.

Paul Morin
Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Minnesota
Paul has been instrumental in bringing Scientific Visualization to the Earth Science classroom with his work at the Department of Geology and Geophysics and the National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics. His work has led to the development of the Geowall, an inexpensive lowend virtual reality system now used at over 70 undergraduate institutions around the world. Morin is also contributing to the Science Museum of Minnesota's Big Back Yard, a 1.2 acre, outdoor biogeomorphology exhibit. He has contributed to over 10 earth science textbooks, numerous PBS science programs and the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Carol O'Donnell
The George Washington University, Graduate School of Education and Human Development
Department of Teacher Preparation and Special Education
Carol is the Senior Research Associate and Project Director of The George Washington University's (GWU) Scaling up Curriculum for Achievement, Learning, and Equity Project (SCALE-uP). Prior to her work at GWU, Carol served as the Earth and Space Science Curriculum Developer for the National Science Resources Center (NSRC), an organization jointly operated by the Smithsonian Institution and National Academies. A former teacher, she developed and authored six curriculum units for the Science and Technology for Children (STC) and Science and Technology Concepts for Middle Schools (STC/MS) curriculum projects. Her book, Catastrophic Events, received the Mark Trail NOAA/NWS Award in 2003. Carol has given numerous talks and workshops nationally related to science education reform, and serves as one of the leaders for the STC/MS Contextualized Professional Development Earth and Space Graduate Courses for teachers.

Eric Riggs
Department of Geological Sciences, Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education (CRMSE) San Diego State University
Eric is an assistant professor of geoscience education and geology and leads the Geoscience Education Research Group at San Diego State University. The Riggs GeoEd Group studies many related aspects of field-based teaching and learning in the geosciences, focusing on issues of geoscience knowledge construction, spatial cognition related to geoscience expertise, and cross-cultural education. Riggs is the co-founder of the Indigenous Earth Sciences Project, a research and outreach effort which works to make geoscience education accessible and useful to Native Americans in Southern California and across North America.

Jill Singer
Professor of Earth Sciences and Director, Undergraduate Research Office SUNY, College at Buffalo
Jill is a professor of Earth Sciences at Buffalo State College (State University of New York system (SUNY)). From 2001-2003, she took a two-year leave of absence as a Program Director in the Division of Undergraduate Education at NSF. She served as President of the Council of Undergraduate Research from 2003-2004 and for the past three years has been a coorganizer for CUR's multi-day workshop on "Institutionalizing Undergraduate Research". At Buffalo State College, Jill teaches sedimentology, oceanography, and a variety of environmental courses. She is the Director of the college's Office of Undergraduate Research and for the past six years has coordinated the annual college-wide student research and creativity celebration and the undergraduate research summer fellowship program. In 2000 and 2001, she directed the Buffalo State's NCUR/Lancy program. This interdisciplinary research program involved 24 undergraduates and four faculty mentors during two summers of research focusing on environmental changes in Buffalo during the past century.

Marilyn Suiter
Geoscience Educator, Arlington, VA
Marilyn is a geologist and educator with more than twenty years of experience. She is currently a program director in the Education and Human Resources Directorate (EHR) at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Her responsibilities are in (geo) science education and diversity issues as they are implemented in K-12, undergraduate, and graduate education. Marilyn's highly varied career has included positions as Director of Human Resources and Career Development at the American Geological Institute, Exploration Geologist for Cities Service Oil & Gas, geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, pre-college science teacher in grades 5-12 in the Philadelphia Public Schools, and adjunct faculty member in geoscience at American University. In addition to her wideranging interests and experience in geoscience education issues and demography of the geoscience community, she retains a special interest in activities for underrepresented populations. These include assessment of the status of participation of women, ethnic minorities and persons with disabilities in Geoscience Education and other STEM professions, and programs/activities to increase and enhance their participation, such as scholarships, internships, and seminars. (Suiter cannot represent the NSF in these visits, and declines honoraria.)

Mike Taber
University of Northern Colorado, Department of Earth Sciences
Mike is an assistant professor of Earth Science at the University of Northern Colorado. Mike has extensive experience in science education, having served as a classroom teacher for six years and involved in numerous curriculum projects. Mike is an advocate of using data in teaching inquiry. Mike has presented numerous science education papers at AGU and GSA. In addition, Mike is the Director for the Colorado Alliance for Science, an organization dedicated to the shaping of science education through informed policy. Mike is a co-PI for the Digital Library for Earth System Education.