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Who is Barb Goodman? From Research to Education
Barb took a lot of science classes because she knew science would be needed for when she was a doctor and also because she just liked science. She took as much science and math as possible in high school. When it came time for Barb to go to college, she went to Duke University in North Carolina. She chose it because she knew that it was a very good school and had good classes in science. She also knew that students who went there often were able to go on to become either human or animal doctors. The school was close to home, which was nice and also was affiliated with the Methodist Church, to which she belongs. Choosing Physiology over MedicineDuring college, Barb was still sure she would become either a doctor or a veterinarian. That meant lots more science classes. After getting a chemistry degree in 1972, Barb tried for 4 years to get into veterinary school. She first stayed in the South, going to Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, AL for 2 years, and then moving to Auburn University in Auburn, AL for a year. While at those schools, she took a lot of biology courses. It was then that she took her first physiology class. It was that class that made her sure that she was much more interested in finding out WHY THINGS HAPPEN than in being a doctor or veterinarian. That was when she changed her mind and decided to become a physiologist. She had to decide which school to go to for her training to be a physiologist. Finally, she ended up going far north to the University of Minnesota to get her degree. Once again, she was sure she knew what she wanted to do with her life. She would be a college teacher and to do research like her adviser, Dr. Doug Wangensteen. He was a great teacher, friend, and researcher and provided her with a wonderful role model. After finishing her degree in 1981, Dr. Goodman went to the University of California in Los Angeles to get more training in her research area. In 1983, she started working there as a researcher and teacher in the schools that train doctors and nurses. A couple years later she started trying to find a job at another school where she could have her own lab. She was willing to live anywhere in the country. Dr. Goodman ended up getting a job at the University of South Dakota. She was able to teach physiology to students just out of high school and to students learning to be doctors. She also had her own lab and was studying lungs and how chemicals and water move in and out of the lungs. She also taught students how to become good teachers. Changing Career Paths AgainAs Dr. Goodman worked in the job she’d wanted for years, she found out that she liked teaching and working with students of all ages to help them become excited about science in addition to doing research. That reminded her that in high school she had vowed that if she ever did become a teacher, she would be a good teacher like her high school biology teacher Ms. Hubbard. She wanted to learn more about working with other teachers who taught at different grades and their students. So, she started working with APS in its programs for grade school, middle school, and high school teachers and students. She did a lot of work for many years and got to be very well known by other physiologists. Because of her work, Dr. Goodman was asked to be in charge of a program at her school for science education. She spends half her time working with science teachers in South Dakota to teach students your age about science, a part of her time teaching biology and other classes, and the rest of her time she teaches physiology to students wanting to be doctors. Her research is now on trying to find ways to make teaching and learning science better at all grades. Away From WorkNow that her children are all grown up and moved out of the house, Dr. Goodman and her husband (a math teacher) have time to travel and see new places. She has been to South America and the Galapagos Islands to see the wonderful birds and animals. She has also been to New Zealand to attend an international meeting for physiology educators and to Alaska on a cruise with lots of natural history and wildlife. She has lots of animals of her own and loves to take care of her horses, dogs, pet rats, fish, and cats. She is very active in her church and helps out doing anything they need her to do. She also likes to read books. She is currently reading lots of different mysteries.
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