Senior Research Engineer, Energy & Environment Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)

I feel strongly that quality science and mathematics education are key to this country’s future success. Not only do we need more people with advanced science, mathematics, and engineering degrees, we need a general populace that understands basic scientific and systems focused topics.

My early efforts in education related activities were focused on encouraging young women and minorities to pursue technical career paths. Although I had personal success in the field of engineering, I was aware of the challenge students have with the method of teaching being used in science and mathematics classes – that of primarily lectures. As I learned more about how children learn, I recognized how important it was to improve the science and mathematics education provided to all students thus making it more accessible to them.

Science and mathematics education must engage all students (Pre-K through 12th grade) in real-life applications of systems problems. Science is everywhere and science needs to be understood, at least at a basic level, by all. For this to happen, classroom activities must engage students’ minds, teach them how to think through systems problems and how to ask good questions, and the activities must be relevant to their world to be memorable. Teaching science is also easily integrated into mathematics, reading, writing, and social studies. Providing non-fiction reading and technical writing opportunities for students is likely to enhance students’ reading and writing skills and/or interest in those topics.

I also believe that those of us that have chosen science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers have the responsibility to clearly communicate our technical information and/or findings to the general population. Whenever possible, scientists should translate their work into inquiry-centered, hands-on activities that can be shared with classrooms. This requires collaboration with educators to learn age-appropriate strategies that will deliver the content in meaningful ways.

STUDENTS
I have put together a set of energy, environment, and sustainable development related activities that I bring to classrooms ranging from third grade through high school. These activities were developed by me after learning about the value of inquiry-centered lessons and they are intended to be linked to the existing classroom curriculum. I visit some classrooms every year and others I visit when the PNNL Science and Engineering Education (SEE) office requests my presence. I started by volunteering at Expanding Your Horizons and MESA events.

For the last 8 years, I have assisted Jennifer Quesnell, Sunset View Elementary’s lead science teacher, with “Science Month.” My primary responsibility is to identify and invite scientists to provide interactive lessons for each of the twenty-two classrooms at the school. The visitor’s topic is connected to the current science curriculum at each grade level. I also assist Jennifer with the annual Family Discovery Night and Science Fair events.

TEACHERS
I have had the fortune of being involved in several organized education efforts led by the PNNL SEE office. I am the community representative for the Kennewick School District LASER team and in that role I participate in quarterly professional development and planning meetings.

I also serve on the faculty for the Washington State LASER Strategic Planning Institute as the community representative from the world of science. My involvement with LASER keeps me up-to-date on strategies for improving science education. This also helps me articulate and advocate for community partnerships and how important I feel they are for the success of science education reform.

Finally, at PNNL, I am working with the SEE office to guide 10 middle school physical science teachers through an ongoing professional development opportunity that spans three summers. The focus of this partnership between scientists and teachers is to immerse teachers in my field of sustainable development. I am also collaborating with a doctoral student on research around this program and the benefits to the teachers as learners and as teachers.

CAREERS
I have hosted high school, college, and/or teacher interns almost every summer I have worked at PNNL. We recently hired a former intern and I have several in my sights for future positions when they are finished with their education. Although it is a bonus when an intern hires on to a position here at PNNL, it is the relationship that develops with the interns that I cherish.

I have been encouraging our newly hired staff to host interns and to participate in science education volunteer efforts, such as MESA events and Expanding Your Horizons. My goal is to increase the base of volunteers the SEE office has access to and to continue to improve the awareness of scientists and engineers of the need to partner outside PNNL in order to impact science literacy of the general populace.

I am very grateful that I work for an organization that values efforts to improve the quality of science, mathematics, and engineering education. The impact a scientist or engineer can have on the science education of our young people and their classroom teachers is unlimited.