Climate Change Education is at the center of my current work. New Jersey recently became the first state in the US to include climate change in all grade levels across subject areas. I authored the Report on K-12 Climate Change Education Needs in New Jersey in February 2022. I also lead several research out outreach initiatives directly tied to climate change education in New Jersey. Some recent Media Coverage on this work can be found on this page.

I am the principal investigator of Project SEA and Expanding Project SEA, New Jersey SeaGrant-funded initiatives focused on supporting teachers as they integrate climate change and marine science across the curriculum.

I also lead up the Building Capacity for K-6 Sustainable STEM Education, an NSF Noyce Teaching Fellows-funded project that seeks to build relationships with teachers and develop a model for STEM teacher-leadership in elementary schools that sets the stage for effective and inclusive climate change education in New Jersey.

Environmental Sustainability Education

• EcoTeachers, a US EPA-funded professional development project wrapped up in 2019. Through this project, we provided 10 schools with subawards to implement individualized environmental education projects in thier own schools.
• Together with colleagues in the school of education and others in the arts, we’re trying to better understand how arts integration helps students understand the science content related to environmental issues. The Springs Eternal exhibit at TCNJ’s Art Gallery sparked great collaborations will be sure to result in fruitful research.

Science Learning Stories

• I’m working with students in the CCS program (adults with intellectual disabilities) to document their science learning experiences across the lifespan.
• Two projects have emerged from this work–a contribution to this edited volume and a manuscript in the Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities.

Physics Teacher Recruitment- Robert Noyce Teaching Fellows

• As a co-PI on an NSF-funded project in TCNJ’s physics department focused on recruiting future physics teachers, I assist with the science teacher education. I’m interested in the factors that physics faculty use to encourage/discourage students to pursue teaching and the factors that students use to help guide that decision. A manuscript was published on this work in the Journal of Science Teacher Education.
• We have also evaluated the effectiveness of summer exploration programs in recruiting future physics teachers; findings will be shared in this edited volume.