Lisa Bellows

As a native Texan and a product of rural Texas Public Schools, I bring personal experience and deep seated roots to education and science programs, particularly environmental and field based science education.  My bachelors and masters degrees were both obtained from Texas Woman’s University in Denton Texas.  Both Degrees were in biology but with the aid of several education courses, I was able to pursue a teaching certificate in secondary science.  I returned to my home town of Saint Jo, Texas and taught all of the science in grades 7 through 12 for 3 years.  In 1993, I landed a wonderful job teaching biology labs at North Central Texas College, Texas’ oldest continuously operating community college.  As 2 new campuses opened at NCTC in 2000, I moved into the classroom as a lecture instructor and in 2002, I became the chair of the science department.  As fate would have it, in 2003, Thomsen Foundation; a 600 acre nature preserve invited me to serve as director of education and research to coincide with my responsibilities at NCTC.  Thomsen Foundation has proven to be an opportunity of a lifetime.  I have established education programs for children and place a special focus on professional development for area science teachers.  Through the collaborative efforts of NCTC, TCU and other entities, I have enjoyed the success of several grant opportunities with a focus on science professional development for teachers.  Included in those grants are The Texas Regional Collaborative for Excellence in Science Teaching and Teacher Quality Grants.

As a part of my personal educational philosophy to “give back”, I ran for and was elected to the Gainesville Independent School District in May of 2003 and presently serve as president of that board.  We have been successful in the passing of a $29.5 Million bond and are in the construction phase of a new high school in Gainesville.

Angela Buffington

My science education began exploring nature with Dad, who would answer my constant questions with thinking questions. It was no surprise when I chose Biology and Physical Education as my courses of study. While enrolled in a freshman level study skills course I was asked to TA. I continued to aide, then tutor biology and teach science lab courses throughout my masters program in Aquatic Biology at Texas State University. While completing my thesis I taught secondary school then moved to Waco for a staff position coordinating pre-med biology labs at Baylor University in 1995. Three years later I accepted a faculty position teaching interdisciplinary sciences in the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core program. A family move brought me to north Texas in 2001 where I taught Contemporary Issues in Biology before choosing to stay at home with our two young children.

Since 2005 I have taught Geology, Life Science, Nutrition and Environmental Science part-time for Axia College of University of Phoenix Online.

I begin this new chapter in Fall 2008 as a PhD student eager to be stretched in experience and understanding while contributing to science education.

Cheryl Cantú-Mireles

I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Texas Christian University.  I taught middle school science for Fort Worth Independent School District while I pursued my Master’s degree in administration.  I eventually received my Master’s degree from Texas Woman’s University and I worked as a secondary school administrator in FWISD for several years.  In 2001, I came to home to my alma mater to work as an Academic Advisor in the Center for Academic Services.  I started the PhD in science education in 2005.  I am currently the Coordinator of First-Year Retention and a part time doctoral student.  As I continue my program coursework, I hope to narrow my research interest.

Deborah Flynn

My background is in K-12 science education and curriculum writing.  I received my B.S. in Elementary Education (grades 1-8) from Texas Christian University and my Master's degree in Science Education from Texas Wesleyan University.  I am currently a part-time doctoral student, classroom educator, and a graduate intern in the Office for Assessment and Quality Enhancement at TCU.  My research focus is concerning assessment of critical thinking in the natural sciences.

Susan Harris

My journey to the PhD program in Science Education at TCU has been a rich, albeit circuitous one. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Allied Health Sciences and my MS in Environmental Science from the Medical University of South Carolina and TCU, respectively. I was employed in the health care field initially before beginning a 10 year career in the oil and gas industry, with my primary responsibilities being managing production and field supervision. Prior to coming to TCU, I spent 3 years directing teen programming at a YMCA camp on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. This “outdoor classroom” gave me wonderful opportunities to help connect youth with their environment. For the last seven years, I have been the Special Projects Coordinator and the Director of the AP Summer Institute with TCU’s Office of Extended Education. My current position gives me the ability to explore creative ways of offering professional development for middle school and high school teachers and the chance to work with a wide variety of student programming. My research interests include the efficacy of professional development, teacher engagement, and interdisciplinary instruction for students.

Mary Elizabeth (Molly) Holden

Prior to arriving at TCU, I was a professional geologist, having received both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in geology from Grand Valley State University and the University of Illinois, respectively. I was employed by a Fortune 500 engineering firm for 16 years, with my primarily responsibilities being hazardous waste cleanups for the federal government and groundwater supply investigations for municipalities. Involvement in K-12 and post-secondary outreach through my professional organizations led to my interest in science education and later, to TCU. For my research, I am studying the effectiveness of interdisciplinary, experiential strategies for natural science instruction in outdoor environments.

Teresa Moss

I am starting the PhD program in Science Education in the Fall of 2008.  I am entering this program because of my love for teaching and learning (both professionally and personally) and because of my passion for the environment.  I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a minor in Biology.  I have two graduate degrees from TCU - a Masters of Education and a Masters of Science in Environmental Sciences.  I currently serve as the Director of TCU’s Monnig Meteorite Gallery and as adjunct faculty in TCU’s Institute for Environmental Studies.  I have a total of 12 years teaching experience – 4 years in middle school science in the DFW metroplex, 3 years as a graduate teaching assistant at TCU, and 5 years as an informal science educator at the Monnig Meteorite Gallery.

Jenesta Nettles

Tammy Oliver

I earned both my B. S. in biology and M. S. in biology from Texas Woman’s University.  I worked in research for six years at University of Texas Southwestern Medical center.  During that time, I also taught as an adjunct instructor in the Dallas County Community College District.  Currently, I am a fulltime instructor at Eastfield College.  I teach anatomy, physiology and microbiology.  My current research interest is literacy in natural science classes.

Heather Bjorum Peace

I received my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Mathematics with a special focus on applied mathematics.  Originally, I was only interested in mathematical research, but after teaching for a short time I began to realize the multitude of fascinating questions involved in educational research.  I am a full time student in the doctoral program and I teach applied pre-calculus at the college level.  My research interests include science education for special needs (in particular deaf and hard of hearing) students.

April Sawey

I come to TCU with a strong background in K-12 education.   I have twelve years of experience as a science teacher and administrator.  I hold an undergraduate degree in Biology and a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction – both from Texas Wesleyan University.  I am currently a full time doctoral student.  My primary research interest is in inquiry – teacher’s conception of inquiry as well as its use in the classroom.

Valerie Wielard

I come to TCU with a background in Biology and 3 years of experience in teaching biology at Mountain View College.  I earned my Master's degree at the University of Texas at Arlington, where I studied wolf spider behavior.  I am currently a full time doctoral student in the Science Education program here at TCU.  I am interested in improving my ability to educate and my understanding of science education for the college level.  My research interest is in college instruction and the use of computers in instruction.