2014 Keynote Speakers
The 2nd Life Discovery – Doing Science Education conference is pleased to present two distinguished speakers on our keynote panel to launch the conversation on K12 Science and undergraduate biology education reform.
- Where is science and biology education reform headed?
- In what ways are the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Vision and Change for Undergraduate Biology Education (V&C) Call to Action aligned?
- What implications do the alignments of NGSS and V&C have for professional development so we continue to build biological literacy over a students’ career?
MODERATOR
The keynote panel discussion will be moderated by Dr. Rodolfo Dirzo, Stanford University.
KEYNOTE PANELISTS
Janet Carlson
Janet Carlson is currently the Executive Director of the Center to Support Excellence in Teaching (CSET) in the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University. This recent move follows a 23-year history at the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS), including serving as the first female executive director. Dr. Carlson’s research interests include studying the impact of educative curriculum materials and transformative professional development on science teaching and learning. She began her career as a middle and high school science teacher and has spent the last 20 years working in science education developing curriculum, leading professional development, and conducting research. Dr. Carlson received a BA in Environmental Biology from Carleton College, an MS in Curriculum and Instruction from Kansas State University, and a PhD in Instruction and Curriculum (science education) from the University of Colorado.
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Susan Singer
Susan Rundell Singer is Division Director of the Division of Undergraduate Education at the National Science Foundation and Laurence McKinley Gould Professor at Carleton College. A developmental biologist who also does research on learning in genomics, Dr. Singer is an AAAS fellow and received both the American Society of Plant Biology teaching award and Botanical Society of America Charles Bessey teaching award. Dr. Singer also has a deep commitment to the advancement of education. Dr. Singer served on many boards including: NSF EHR advisory committee, Biological Sciences Curriculum Study Board, and the Botanical Society board of directors; is a member-at-large for the AAAS Education Section; participated in the Minnesota Next Generation Science Standards team; and was a member of the National Academies’ Board on Science Education. She earned her PhD in biology from Rensselaer.
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Rodolfo Dirzo
Rodolfo Dirzo studied Biology at the University of Morelos, Mexico. He completed his Masters (M.Sc.) and Doctorate (Ph.D) in Ecology at the University of Wales, Great Britain. He has been a Professor at the National University of Mexico (UNAM), where he was researcher at the Evolutionary Ecology Department, and Director of the Los Tuxtlas Research Station. Currently he is a Professor at Stanford University in the Biology Department, and Director of Stanford’s Center for Latin American Studies. He teaches Ecology, Field Biology, and Conservation Science. His research centers on the study of the ecological relationships between plants and animals and on the impact of human activities on natural ecosystems. Most of his work is carried out in tropical ecosystems of Latin America, the Central Pacific, and Kenya. He is involved in teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels both in the USA and Latin America and he is committed to science education among children and the general public.