FAST - Future Academic Scholars in Teaching
FAST Fellows Biographies
2008-2009 FAST Fellows
Anne Axel is a sixth year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and the Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior Program. She earned a Master of Forest Science in wildlife ecology from the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from the University of Delaware. Her research interests include wildlife-habitat relationships, biogeography, and landscape ecology. She conducts the majority of her field research in Madagascar where she studies effects of habitat alteration on the distribution and abundance of dry forest lemurs. She has pedagogical interests in field-based learning, media, information and environmental literacies, writing-to-learn activities, and visual rhetoric.
Kimberly Cervello (Kim) earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics with Secondary Education Certification and a minor in Sociology from the State University of New York at Geneseo, in May of 2005. She then pursued graduate work at Michigan State University (MSU) in the fall of 2005, and achieved her Masters in Mathematics two years later. Continuing her graduate studies at MSU, in the fall of 2007, Kim then transitioned into the Mathematics-Education Ph.D. program in the Division of Science and Mathematics Education. In addition to her course work, Kim has had the opportunity to teach mathematics courses for prospective elementary teachers, an undergraduate trigonometry course, and a mathematics capstone course for prospective secondary mathematics teachers. Her research experiences in mathematics were primarily in number theory, graph theory, combinatorics, and algebra. So far, her three main research experiences in mathematics-education were about calculus students' transition from secondary education to tertiary education, high school mathematics teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching reasoning and proof, and mathematics teaching assistants' mathematical knowledge for teaching the derivative. Kim's current research interests include knowledge and beliefs for teaching mathematics, teacher's decision-making, and professional development, especially at the collegiate level.
Geoff Horst is a fifth year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and the Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior Program. He received his B.S. in Oceanography from the University of Michigan and M.S. in Marine Biology from California State University, Northridge. Geoff’s research interests are in the physiological ecology of aquatic and marine organisms. For his Masters work, he researched the effects of increasing temperature and CO2 levels on coral calcification and bleaching. His dissertation work at MSU focuses on the nutrient physiology toxin-producing cyanobacteria and the development of harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes region. Geoff’s research interests in teaching are focused on promoting scientific literacy among non-major undergraduates.
Carlos Jaramillo is a fourth year Ph.D. student in electrical engineering in the ECE department at Michigan State University. He received a M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez in 2005, his dissertation topic was Statistical methods for characterizing slot antenna configurations. Carlos Jaramillo's current research interests are conformal antennas and computational electromagnetics. He is also interested in the development of computer-assisted educational material to teach the theoretical and practical aspects of electromagnetics.
Neera Singh is a doctoral candidate with the Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies at Michigan State. Her dissertation explores how rural communities in the state of Orissa, India have evolved collective arrangement to conserve forests. In specific she examines how women and other marginalized sections gain voice within forest governance and decision-making. She has extensive experience of working on issues of rural development and environment in India through her work with Vasundhara, an NGO that she founded. Her broad ranging interests in the area of nature-society interactions stem from her experience as a practitioner. In terms of teaching she is interested in feminist pedagogy, and exploring role of deliberation and engagement in learning contexts.
Jacqueline Stagner is a fourth year Ph.D. student in the Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Department at Michigan State University. She received her Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Windsor, and her Master of Business Administration from Lawrence Technological University. Jacqueline worked for six years as a mechanical engineer in the automotive industry. Her research interests are in the area of sustainable materials and entrepreneurship. As a teaching assistant and teacher for standard test preparation courses, she is interested in focusing on students’ critical thinking and problem solving abilities, which will help them in the classroom and in their future careers.
Greg Stricker is a fourth year doctoral student in the Zoology Department and the Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior Program at Michigan State University. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences from Rutgers University. Greg is currently working on a research project examining curiosity and cognitive ability within carnivores, which has included collaborative work with zoological institutions within Michigan as well as throughout the United States. Due to this work, Greg is interested in the utilization of settings outside the classroom, such as zoos, in science education, as well as the effect that environment may have on the learning process.
Lorna Watt is a second year doctoral student in the Departments of Plant Biology and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior. She is interested in plant evolutionary ecology and is developing an integrated study of origin of plant species from the scale of the gene to the environment. Other interests include ecological modeling, environmental perceptions in different cultures, and science education. Her hopes for this fellowship include using evolution education as a lens for teaching scientific inquiry.
Sara Wyse is a fourth year doctoral student in the Department of Plant Biology and the Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior Program. Sara received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bethel University (St. Paul, MN) in both Biology and Life Science Education. After spending two years studying carbon cycling and climate change in boreal systems, she discovered her true passion in teaching undergraduate students and her research now focuses on scientific teaching, where she desires to contribute to improvements in undergraduate biology education. Sara is interested in the development of the graduate teaching assistant both in practice and in beliefs about teaching and student learning.
2007-2008 FAST Fellows
Jill Arnold is a third year graduate student in the Sociology Department at Michigan State University. She received a dual Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Iowa. Her research interests concern the construction of family time, in particular how fathers perceive themselves within the family given their personal and work background. Starting from her first year of graduate school working as a teaching assistant, Jill realized the value of teaching as an important part of academic life. Her central pedagogical interests involve encouraging diversity within the classroom through a number of avenues.
George Berghorn is a second year PhD student in the Construction Management program at Michigan State University. He received a Master of Environmental Studies degree in watershed science from the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies in 1998 and a Bachelor of Science degree in political science and earth science from the SUNY College at Brockport in 1996. He worked for several years in environmental engineering and construction prior to beginning doctoral studies, where he was a project manager for soil and water remediation and brownfield projects. His research interests are in the arena of life cycle cost applied to sustainable construction on former brownfield sites. This interest in supplemented by an interest in teaching applied sciences, developed during several semesters teaching environmental science and organismal biology at Lansing Community College.
Yen Duong earned her Master's degree in aquaculture from Can Tho University, Vietnam. She is now a second-year doctoral student in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and the Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior Program at Michigan State University. Her fields of interest include fisheries conservation, population genetics, population ecology and evolutionary biology. She also has a particular concern about developing different learning and teaching strategies to better prepare for her position as a university lecturer in Vietnam upon completion of her PhD studies.
Kristin Getter graduated with honors in 1993 from Michigan State University (MSU) with a B.S. in Mathematics. She later earned an M.S. in Horticulture (2006) from MSU. Her Master's thesis was titled Extensive Green Roofs: Plant Evaluations and the Effect of Slope on Stormwater Retention. She is continuing to work with vegetated roofs while earning her PhD (with an expected completion date of 2009). Her dissertation will focus primarily on quantifying the carbon sequestration potential of green roofs. Upon earning her doctorate, Kristin plans to teach at the college level.
Subbu Kumarappan is a third year PhD student in the Dept of Agricultural Economics, Michigan State University. He has a Masters in Economics from Iowa State University and a Bachelors degree in Agriculture from Annamalai University (India). His research interests are varied encompassing ag products consumption behavior, business investment decisions, carbon markets, biofuels and biomass supply potential. With regard to teaching, he has served as a Teaching Assistant in various economics courses (micro, macro, marketing); the conferences, workshops and classroom activities in the MSU's 'Certification in College Teaching' has enabled him to develop a broader perspective of teaching. He is interested to include research in teaching as another focus area in his academic career.
Marcia LaCorbiniere-JnBaptise graduated with honors (BS) from Alabama Agriculture and Mechanical University (A&M), with dual degrees in Environmental Science and Crop Science, (1998); obtained MS degree from Iowa State University (2002) in Soil Science, where she formulated organic fertilizers. She is a PhD candidate in the department of Crop and Soil Sciences, with her research focused on sustainable crop production. She is evaluating the impact of various soil amendments on nutrient availability, soil quality, and crop yield. Additionally, Marcia recently completed the doctoral specialization in the Environmental Science and Policy program (ESPP) here at MSU. Her desire is to get involved with interdisciplinary research and some teaching/mentoring.
Wiline Pangle is currently a 5th year Ph.D. candidate in the department of Zoology at Michigan State University under the supervision of Dr. Kay E. Holekamp. Her dissertation, entitled "Threat-sensitive behavior and its ontogenetic development in to mammalian carnivores," focuses on the antipredator behavior of spotted hyenas in the wild and led her to carry out data collection in the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, where she resided for over 16 months. A native of France, Wiline Pangle holds a B.S. from McGill University, Montreal where she examined the antipredator behavior of the Eastern chipmunk. She has received multiple fellowships and grants to conduct her research, including the American Association of University Women International Fellowship and the Graduate Women in Sciences Eloise Gerry Fellowship. Wiline Pangle has also been actively involved in bringing sciences to the K-12 and promoting women in sciences, working in close collaborations with science teachers across Michigan, and developing inquiry-based activities to promote sciences at all levels of education.
Jungeun Park is a graduate student in Division of Science of Math education at Michigan State University (MSU). I am currently in my first year in the Mathematics Education program. I received a B.S. in Mathematics from Korea University in Korea. I also just finished a M.S. in Mathematics at MSU. I taught high school mathematics for four years in Korea. In MSU, I have taught a math class for perspective elementary teachers, College Algebra, Survey of Calculus. My research interests are the teaching and learning collegiate mathematics.
Sara Wyse is a third year doctoral student in the Department of Plant Biology and the Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior Program. Sara received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bethel University (St. Paul, MN) in both Biology and Life Science 5-12th Grade Education. After spending two years studying carbon cycling and climate change in boreal systems, she discovered her true passion in teaching undergraduate students and her research now focuses on scientific teaching, where she desires to contribute to improvements in undergraduate biology education. Specifically, Sara is interested in the development of the graduate teaching assistant and the subsequent impact on student learning in the laboratory and lecture classrooms.
Chao Yu is a fourth year Ph.D. student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State University. Chao received his bachelor and master degrees from Beihang University (China) in Aerospace Engineering. Now his research focuses on Aeroacoustic and Aerodynamic simulations including methodology developments and numerical analysis. Chao once worked as a TA in the Department of Mathematics and accumulated some teaching experiences. In 2007-2008, he will lecture an undergraduate mechanical engineering course, Fluid Mechanics lab.
2006-2007 FAST Fellows
Jana M. Simmons is a Ph.D. candidate in the department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at MSU. She graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry from Alma College in 2004. While an undergraduate, Jana completed an honors thesis with Dr. Joe D. Beckmann. As a graduate student she is studying an enzyme from Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of African Sleeping Sickness. Jana is interested in researching the effects of relevance and application as motivational factors in learning.
Angelita (Gel) Alvarado -- was born and raised in Zamboanga City, Philippines. Filipinos call Zamboanga the City of Flowers because we have the most diverse tropical flowers in the country. I got my Bachelor in Science (Biology) degree from Xavier University in the Philippines. I came to the United States in September 2000 to pursue my masters at the School of Marine Affairs at the University of Washington in Seattle. I love the oceans and the coral reefs, and I am always looking for opportunities where I can help protect marine environments. I taught for a year at YMCA Storer Camps in Jackson, MI after I graduated at UW, then I started my doctoral program at MSU in fall 2003. My main research interests are education, marine resource management, and sustainable development. For my dissertation research, I will be looking at how teaching pedagogies influence students' ability or capacity to do something for or that will benefit the Great Lakes. I love to teach and I would love to continue teaching at a small college or university after I graduate.
Anne Axel -- is a fourth year joint doctoral student in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and the Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior Program. She is also pursuing a graduate specialization in African Studies. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from the University of Delaware and a Master of Forest Science from Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Her research interests are in the areas of wildlife-habitat relationships, biogeography, and landscape ecology. She conducts the majority of her field research in the African country of Madagascar where she is currently studying the effects of habitat alteration on the distribution and abundance of two species of lemurs in the tropical dry forests of the south. Recently Anne was awarded two Fulbright Fellowship awards to return Madagascar to complete her dissertation research. Anne co-developed the MSU Madagascar Study Abroad Program and led the first offering of that course in 2006. She will return to Madagascar in May to co-lead the second offering in 2007. Her central pedagogical interests involve engaging reluctant learners of science by demonstrating relevancy and also utilizing writing-to-learn methods to encourage student learning and reflection.
Aladar Horvath -- is a graduate student in the Mathematics Department at Michigan State University. He is currently in his second year in the Mathematics Education program. Aladar received a B.S. in Mathematics from Purdue University-West Lafayette. He has taught both courses in a series of math classes for perspective elementary teachers, Pre-calculus, Calculus, and Ordinary Differential Equations. His research interests are the teaching and learning of mathematics at the collegiate level.
Denise Lackey -- is a third year doctoral student in Human Nutrition at Michigan State University. She graduated with a B.S. in Nutritional Sciences and a minor in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Pennsylvania State University in 2004. While an undergraduate, Denise completed an honors thesis on the effects of vitamin A on cultured innate immune cells with Dr. A. Catharine Ross. As a graduate student, she still studies the effects of vitamin A on immune cells. For educational research, Denise is interested in developing critical thinking skills in health science students as well as improving nutrition curricula in medical schools.
Terri McElhinny -- is a PhD candidate in the Department of Zoology. A mammalogist, her research interests include the morphology, behavior, and evolution of mammals. Her dissertation research involves study of the morphological and genetic variation of a single species, the spotted hyena, across the continent of Africa. Her pedagogical research interests center on metacognition as it applies to complex problem solving; and the synthesis of patterns inherent in the study biological systems, where rote memorization is an ineffective means of learning the material.
Gabe Ording -- is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Entomology. His entomological research emphasis is on Population Genetics in Papilio butterflies and the Evolutionary processes involved in Hybrid Zone maintenance and Speciation. As an instructor for the Department of Entomology and the Center for Integrative Studies, Gabe coordinates the curriculum development for a new ISB lecture / lab course combination – Insects, Globalization, and Sustainability. Most recently Gabe has been involved with faculty from the other Integrative Studies Centers, in the development of a new Environmental Science Theme Track. His primary educational research interests lie in investigating the factors that impact long-term retention of knowledge.
Nils Peterson -- is a fourth year doctoral student in Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University. His research and teaching interests focus on using systems theory and systems modeling to facilitate a productive fusion between the natural and social sciences.