About Me:
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Driven by the vision of equitable and accessible STEM education for all students, my current research focuses on preparing teachers to engage diverse classrooms in authentic, integrated, and creative STEM learning experiences. Past research efforts include a focus on integrating technology in the classroom as a means of creation (rather than consumption) in both the computer science and engineering disciplines, with a special focus on digital fabrication. I'm currently an Assistant Professor of STEM Education at Fresno State in the College of Science and Mathematics. Previously, I earned a PhD and MA in STEM Education from UC Santa Barbara, a BS in Biology from UC Irvine, and a secondary science teaching credential from Loyola Marymount University. Outside of teaching and research, you might find me practicing yoga, soaking up sunshine at the beach, or curling up with a good book.
To learn more, download my CV below or visit Researchgate. |
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Current Projects:
Digital Fabrication in Biological Education
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Interdisciplinary collaborations to unlock the potential of digital fabrication in the context of K-16+ biological education. We are currently collecting pilot data in the context of an undergraduate comparative vertebrate morphology class to understand the impact of incorporating digital fabrication on students' motivation and interest in STEM.
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Community-Based STEM Learning
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Learning happens everywhere - not just in classrooms! I am working to create purposeful connections between STEM educational stakeholders and organizations in the areas surrounding Fresno State. I am interested in connecting STEM learning across boundaries by providing resources and support to help K-16+ STEM teachers to provide authentic learning opportunities that capitalize on community resources for the benefit of their students' STEM learning.
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Selected Past Projects:
Science & Mathematics Teacher Research Initiative (SMTRI)
An NSF-funded research project to compare Teacher Education programs across 6 different University of California campuses. Research investigates changes in teacher candidates' perceptions of reform-based science and mathematics instructions throughout their time in a teacher education program, with a special focus on supporting students still learning English.
Facilitator at the School for Scientific Thought
Served as lead graduate student for the School for Scientific Thought through the Center for Science & Engineering Partnerships at UC Santa Barbara - an enrichment program targeting at-risk high school students with the goal of exposing them to the sciences and college life. In this role, I organized and delivered training for STEM-graduate student instructors of the program, provided feedback on observed lessons, and held weekly reflective meetings to discuss teaching pedagogy.
Curriculum designer at MOXI - The Wolf Museum of Exploration & Innovation
Designed K-5 NGSS-aligned curriculum for interactive, play-based summer camps around the areas of forces and motion, weather, and engineering design. Assisted in training staff, ordering materials, and co-teaching.
Researcher for KELP-CS : Kids Engaged in Learning Programming and Computer Science
Served as lead graduate student on a NSF-funded, design-based, interdisciplinary research team of computer scientists, educators, and teachers at UC Santa Barbara. We developed a block-based curriculum for 4th-6th grade students to learn computational thinking and programming skills. In addition to curriculum development, I taught 4th and 5th grade computer science lessons, collaborated with local schools to both recruit and train teachers, formulated research questions, analyzed data, and regularly submitted papers and presented findings at various research conferences.
Check out the most recent press release about our work here.
Check out the most recent press release about our work here.
Evaluator for Center for Science & Engineering Partnerships
Served as graduate student evaluator for the Center for Science & Engineering Partnerships at UC Santa Barbara. Conducted evaluations inclusive of surveys, interviews, and focus groups for a large NSF-funded scholarship program: Enhanced Support, Training, and Experiences for Engineering Majors (ESTEEM). Produced technical reports to share with NSF. Also conducted an internal evaluation of the ethics courses offered by the Mechanical and Chemical Engineering Departments at UC Santa Barbara.
In the News:
First Maker Faire at Gevirtz Graduate School of Education Press release about our Maker Faire organized in conjunction with the Teacher Education Program at UCSB. 
Answering President Obama's Call -- Computer Science for All
Press releases about our recent work making computer science accessible to young children. Similar article via Noozhawk: Computer Science for All |
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