What motivated you
to participate as a Summer Research Teacher in the 1993 program?

I completed my undergrad degree in Biology with a focus on Ecology in 1976. I had no trouble keeping up-to-date with progress in Ecology, but great progress was being made in biomedical research, and I began to feel left out. I wanted to know what was going on so that I could make better curricular choices for the benefit of my students. I needed to up-date my research knowledge and skills. Physiology seemed like the direction to take, since students are interested in learning more about their own bodies.

Many of my students had goals to pursue careers in the medical health care professions - with great employment opportunities in our community. But I had NEVER taken a course in Physiology, and I was not sure my students were getting what they needed to be successful. My goal was to gain experience with Physiology so that I could better teach Biology as a science rather than as a foreign language vocabulary list.

Did participation as an SRT benefit your classroom? How?

YES! Thanks to SRT connections, my students got to attend a Huxley lecture on muscle! They will never forget that experience. My urban high school students didn't even know how people dress at such an event. They got to participate in the process of science and they got a glimpse of scientists as real people - and a snapshot of how scientists behave with each other (Questions and doubts!) Students were impressed when I returned to the classroom with a School of Medicine lab coat. That gave me authority and made them listen - though I had to warn them that I had not suddenly become an expert on grandma's diabetes medications!

I made a bulletin board showing the support people who work with scientists: custodians, secretaries, the travel agent, medical illustrations, technicians, and the principal investigator. That made it very clear that those who stay in school longer have the better jobs. And yet, each contributor has an important role.

Did the implementation of inquiry-based instruction benefit your students?

Students were interested in measuring their own body functions - reflexes, blood pressures, and pulse rates. Our LOT found local scientist experts willing to act as consultants. Having the inquiry units with the APS stamp of approval helped get school support for ordering and writing a grant for some needed equipment.

I spent a year working with students in an after school program just learning to calibrate and optimize equipment, then writing protocols so that other students could use the equipment. That activity grew out of my experience using protocols borrowed from experts in the biomedical research community. Those students made a valuable contribution.

Did your research experience in the lab APS research host,
Dr. Subah Packer, in any way influence you to pursue additional professional goals? How?

Subah is very patient and allowed me to work independently while guiding me through the process of becoming a scientist. Teaching and science are two very different areas of expertise. Learning to be a scientist was like taking on another culture - and now I am bicultural with both teaching and science research expertise. Subah got me involved with a project that was going to provide some exciting new data - and I couldn't stop without finding an answer. She then provided the guidance I needed to find the funding (a generous Howard Hughes Medical Institute Predoctoral Fellowship) that permitted me to stop teaching to focus full time on research. Research would help me fulfill the need for individuals who can bridge the gap between teachers and scientists. Subah was supportive of my taking on this role - without losing respect for my continuing interests in education.

Tell us briefly about the process of going from a high school teacher in Indiana to an Assistant Professor of Biological Science at California State Univ.- Fullerton.

I chose to become a research scientist, but I did NOT choose to stop teaching. I was ready to return to the high school classroom. Throughout my Ph.D. studies, I worked with teachers and students in a variety of programs including the APS LOT. I became aware of obstacles to real communication between scientists and teachers. Scientists need to learn more about the pedagogical expertise of teachers in order to support improvements and to respect the crucial role of the teacher. Most science teachers I know are deeply dedicated and intelligent. Yet they receive blame more often than recognition. It makes no sense to misplace blame for problems on the teachers. Teachers are the solution, not the problem.

Teachers need to work more closely with scientists. Too much science teacher talk these days has little to do with science as an endeavor. It becomes easy to interpret teacher talk as a license to lower standards. Teachers are rarely made aware of the rigorous training needed to maintain our current standards. To teach better, we must find ways to empower and motivate our students to become smarter. I have respect for the daily challenges teachers face. Teachers need support. On August 18, I will assume a tenure track position as Assistant Professor of Biological Science at Cal State University, Fullerton, a school with a long tradition of respect for both science and teaching expertise. I am among a handful of scientists who understand the kinds of opportunities and support that teachers need. I am proud of the APS for pioneering efforts to provide opportunities and support for teachers. This will snowball. If the APS uses its knowledge and strength to support teachers, that will lead to new projects and more support coming from other directions. The APS efforts should be viewed as seed efforts, and I am proud to have been involved.

What will your responsibilities be
at Fullerton?

I will have a tenure track position as Assistant Professor of Biological Science in the School of Natural Science and Mathematics at Cal State University, Fullerton, to focus my efforts on improving science education.

Cal State U., Fullerton, has a strong undergraduate research program. They are in the midst of re-structuring the undergraduate Biology core courses, and I will work with a Teaching Collaborative to continue the development of this project. I will team teach Mammalian Physiology.

I will also work with the Science Education program. The Cal State University system trains a majority of California teachers. California is a big market, so innovation at Cal State Fullerton is a powerful position where quality work can have national repercussions.

In 1992, The Center for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education (C.E.S.M.E.) was established to improve elementary and secondary teacher education in science and mathematics. The Center is a joint endeavor between the School of Natural Science and Mathematics and the School of Human Development and Community Service and serves to be a focal point for coordinating and promoting collaborative activities among faculty members from education, science, and mathematics as well as for developing partnerships with schools, industry, and community organizations. The Center is committed to the belief that students from all backgrounds can succeed in science and mathematics. I plan to work closely with the Center as California looks for ways to coordinate and find coherence in the scope and sequence of science education at various schools.