Department of Science Education - CSU, Chico
Faculty & Staff Biographies
Faculty
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Leslie Atkins Physics PHSC 126 898-6724 ljatkins@csuchico.edu |
Leslie J. Atkins, PhD (University of Maryland, 2004) is an assistant professor in the departments of physics and science education. Her professional interests lie in the design of learning environments that better reflect the creative, knowledge-building communities that characterize scientific research. In practice, this requires a better understanding of the cognitive mechanisms of understanding and the social practices of the scientific community (particularly scientific discourse and argumentation) and her research lies in these areas. Dr. Atkins has a background in experimental physics research, having published work in soft condensed matter, and has worked in informal education, cognitive psychology, and teacher professional development at Dartmouth College and LessonLab Research Institute. She has taught high school physics and chemistry, and her current teaching focuses on teacher preparation and teacher professional development at Chico State. |
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Tanya Heaston Biological Sciences PHSC 206 898-5425 theaston@csuchico.edu |
Tanya Heaston, MA (CSU, Chico) is lecturer in science education and coordinator of the Hands-On Lab at Chico State University. A graduate of the MiST Program, Heaston teaches and directs all activities associated with the Hands-On Lab which is the capstone experience in science for all liberal studies majors and introduces other students to the science teaching profession. |
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Joel Mintzes Chair Holt 101 898-4599 jmintzes@csuchico.edu |
Joel J. Mintzes, PhD (Northwestern University, 1974) is professor of biology and chair of the Department of Science Education. His research focuses on conceptual development and cognitive processes in biology, and environmental education. He has served on editorial boards of the Journal of Research in Science Teaching and Science Education, as guest editor of the International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, as author or co-author of some 100 publications and as co-editor of three books, Teaching Science for Understanding, Assessing Science Understanding (Elsevier Academic Press, 2005) and Handbook of College Science Teaching (NSTA Press, 2007). In addition he served as director of Research of the Private Universe Project at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics; lead fellow of the College Level One Team at the National Institute for Science Education, University of Wisconsin—Madison; visiting professor at the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education of the National Institute for Fundamental Research (Bombay, India); visiting scholar in the Ecology Department at Providence University in Taiwan; and Fulbright-Technion Fellow at the Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa. He has taught courses in general and cell biology, zoology, neurobiology, and currently works in the Hands-On Lab at Chico State. |
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Julie Monet Geological and Environmental Sciences PHSC 224 898-3460 jmonet@csuchico.edu |
Julie Monet, EdD (Rutgers University, 2006) received her EdD in science education from Rutgers University, MS in geosciences from San Francisco State University, and her BS in geology from Sonoma State University. Her main research interests are in the development of teachers' topic-specific pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for teaching earth science, and the role of epistemic understanding and scientific reasoning in understanding science. Since her appointment at CSU, Chico she has served as the director for the Master’s in Science Teaching Program. She teaches graduate courses for science teachers in earth science, research methods in science education, and science teaching methods for graduate TAs. She also teaches undergraduate courses that include early science teaching experience (Hands-On Lab), and physical geology. |
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Irene Salter Biological Sciences Holt 341 898-6340 isalter@csuchico.edu |
Irene Y. Salter, PhD (University of California, San Francisco, 2002) is committed to hands-on, inquiry-based science teaching. Her fascination with "learning by doing" began with her PhD research at the University of California, San Francisco where she studied the neural circuits that drive motivated behavior and learning. In graduate school she discovered her love of teaching and hasn’t turned back since. She spent the next four years teaching middle school science in Berkeley and creating a classroom where students work together like real scientists. She also spent some time at the Lawrence Hall of Science, developing curriculum for the GEMS Program. Her current passions lie in creating new hands-on science lessons, teaching teachers, and fostering the growth of an on-line community of educators and scientists. For example, she mentors elementary teachers in the Chico Unified School District, helping them to shape their science curriculum, modeling science teaching practices in their classrooms, and providing an online space to share resources and teaching ideas. Check out examples of her curriculum, as well as those of her partner teachers, at My Science Box. |
Associate Faculty
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Ann Bykerk-Kauffman Geological & Environmental Sciences PHSC 217 898-5262 abykerk-kauffman@csuchico.edu |
Ann Bykerk-Kauffman is a professor of geological and environmental sciences. She earned her PhD at the University of Arizona (1990) and has been a faculty member since 1990. |
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Dave Kagan Physics PHSC 106 898-6259 dkagan@csuchico.edu |
Dave Kagan is a professor of physics. He earned his PhD at University of California, Berkeley (1981) and has been a faculty member since 1981. |
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Bev Marcum Biological Sciences Holt 205 898-5356 bmarcum@csuchico.edu |
Bev Marcum is a professor of biology. She earned her PhD at the University of Virginia (1974) and has been a faculty member since 1982. |
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Jim Pushnik Biological Sciences Holt 205 898-5356 jpushnik@csuchico.edu |
Jim Pushnik teaches plant physiology (Biol 414), and researches physiological response mechanisms of plants to environmental stresses and their impact on growth and development. He advises students studying plant biology, ecology, cell/molecular biology |
Staff
Barbara Paquin
Administrative Support Coordinator
Holt 101
898-4599
bpaquin@csuchico.edu