Teaching

Teaching

:earn about my teaching philosophy and experiences.

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Research

Research

Learn about my current and past research.

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Grants

Grants

Learn about my current and past grants.

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I am a science educator, researcher, principal investigator, and program director who values equity in education, partnerships, environmental sustainability, and multi-disciplinary approaches to problem-solving and knowledge production. I am the Academic Area Chair of Science and Health at Tohono O’odham Community College (TOCC), a tribal college of the Tohono O’odham Nation located an hour west of Tucson, Arizona. I am also the Principal Investigator (PI) and Project Director of a $2.5 million NSF grant for developing STEM programs at TOCC using a cultural metaphor for learning, known as the “MiME” model in publications.

My academic background includes a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of New Mexico with a specialization in physiological plant ecology, geochemistry, and climate-vegetation relationships. My Master’s degree in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan involves a specialization in limnology with a focus on nutrient cycling. I hold a Graduate Certification in Academic Leadership for Higher Education Administration. I have been PI or co-PI on numerous grants and projects, ranging from my current $2.5 million NSF grant for enhancing STEM education and research using indigenous paradigms to smaller NSF and NIFA grants involving two main areas: community-based participatory research in climate change and energy sustainability, and creating the infrastructure for a science degree program.

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