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Environmental Connections: Science, Technology, Society, and Education
Faculty Participants
Dr. Catherine Gautier teaches Geography 135S. Dr. Gautier is a faculty member in the Department of Geography at UCSB. Her research interests include global radiation and water, El Niño, clouds, aerosol and climate, global remote sensing, and Earth system science education. Dr. Gautier was recently elected a 2011 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Dr. Jennifer Thorsch teaches EEMB 189/Environmental Science 191. Dr. Thorsch is the Director of the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration (CCBER) at UCSB. She is also the developer and director of the award-winning Kids in Nature (KIN) program.
KIN coordinator Janet Myers co-teaches EEMB 189/ES 191, as well as develops the curriculum for the Kids in Nature Journal and other resource materials. Ms. Myers also assists with the daily running of the course. Further, she communicates with and coordinates the participation of partners like the Coal Oil Point Reserve, guest speakers from various UCSB departments, and participating 5th grade teachers.
Dr. Darby Feldwinn is a co-instructor of Education 136/ES 136. Dr. Feldwinn is a lecturer in the Departments of Chemistry and Education at UCSB. She is a recent graduate of UC San Diego, earning a PhD in Chemistry.
Dr. Julie Bianchini is Head Principal Investigator. Dr. Bianchini is an associate professor of science education in the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education at UCSB. Dr. Bianchini’s primary responsibilities as Head PI are: 1) developing the project infrastructure, 2) implementing and assessing all project components, 3) providing fiscal accountability, 4) communicating with CCLI team members and project partners, 5) ensuring compliance with the National Science Foundation policies and reporting requirements, and 6) supervising the evaluation staff.
Dr. Susan Johnson is a lecturer in the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education at UCSB. Dr. Johnson plays an advisory role in group meetings, providing important insights into the CCLI project.
Dr. Lisa Figueroa serves as Evaluation Coordinator. Dr. Figueroa is a staff member for the Office of Academic Preparation at UCSB. She oversees the evaluation and research component of the CCLI project and ensures that the project team is meeting short-term, intermediate, and long-term goals. Dr. Figueroa works closely with all of the PIs and the Graduate Student Researcher in data collection and analysis procedures.
Katherine (Katy) Nilsen serves as Graduate Student Researcher. Katy Nilsen is a doctoral student in the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education at UCSB specializing in science education. She holds a Masters in education. Ms. Nilsen is responsible for collecting and analyzing data from all three courses, including surveys, classroom videotaped records, interviews, focus groups, instructor journals, and student written work. Ms. Nilsen works closely with Dr. Bianchini and Dr. Figueroa to ensure data are collected and analyzed properly.