I came to education as a non-traditional student.  My B.S. degree is in Agriculture from the School or Renewable Natural Resources at the University of Arizona.  I had been working for the United States Forest Service for several years in Northeastern Washington State on the Colville Forest, when I realized that I was no longer professionally challenged in ways that were important to me.  Having a strong background in the sciences, I decided to see pursue certification in biology and chemistry education in my home state of New York, to see if teaching was a career that might met my needs.  I began my masters degree at S.U.N.Y. College at Buffalo in the fall of 1985.  The faculty at "Buff State" were an  inspiring group of professional educators from whom I learned that it is through meeting the needs of my students that my needs as a teacher would be met.  I am forever indebted to Professors Tom Kinsey, Don Birdd, Bob Horvat, and Joyce Swartney who served me well as role models of caring teachers who expect the very best from their students. 

I taught 8th grade science for nine years before starting to work on my Ph.D. at Ph. D. at S.U.N.Y. Buffalo as a student of Dr. Rod Doran, another role model of excellent teaching.   From him I learned an important lesson about the character of a great teacher.  He taught me that teachers are most effective when they focus on the strengths of their students, not on their weaknesses.

I came to Fisher six years ago after teaching science to eighth graders for 15 years.  Teaching science to middle-level students remains one of the greatest joys of my life. When kids are engaged in learning science, the excitement and activity in the classroom are invigorating.  Yes it is also exhausting, but my investment in my students was returned to me many times over. As a professor of science education I am honored to be able to share with my candidates, the lessons I learned from my teachers.

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