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CSTA Board Member Biographies

 

Current board members and nominees for the 2008-09 year:

 

is the Education Specialist at the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Conneciticut State University where she administers www.ctenergyeducation.com, a program for CT high school teachers. She holds an AS in nursing, a BGS in Environmental Earth Science and a MAT in teaching.

 

David Hostage--standing for President (2008-2010)

is the chair of the Science Department at the Taft School in Watertown where he teaches chemistry and biology. David is the director or the Taft Educational Center, which provides summer workshops for all AP and other subjects. He is very active in AP Chemistry activities nationwide.

 

works for CREC. Rachael most recently worked for NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. At NASA, she partnered with scientists, engineers, and mathematicians to bring the latest in science and technology to educators and students across the nation.

 

is retired after 23 years at Southington High School where she taught chemistry and physics. She was a member of the American Chemical Society's ACS HS TESTcommittee for 6 years. She has presented numberous workshops on chemical demonstrations and improving teaching at CSTA, ChemEd, Biennieal Conference on Chem Ed, PIMMS, etc. She enjoys knitting, gardening, and hiking in her spare time.

 

Donna Schlank
Donna has over 20 years of diverse experiences working with teachers and students, from Pre-K through college. She has been involved in numerous projects and science grants for improving science education. She currently teaches science for Prek-6^th grade students at Vincent E. Mauro School in New Haven. She has a BS, MS and a 6^th year in leadership.

 

has recently completed her Masters degree in Elementary Education at Univerisity of New Haven and is currently completing her student teaching in Middletown. Heather is the former director of education for Schooner, Inc. She has served on the CSTA board as a New Haven County Director.

 

served as CSTA president from 2004-2006.

 

 

 

is also the co-editor of the CSTA Journal. A former president of CSTA (1980-84, 1992, 1995-97) he has served on CSTA conference and other committees. He is a Fellow of the Connecticut Academy for Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology, and a CSEAF awardee.

 

 

Robert F. Vieth
Mr Vieth began his career as a Research Microbiologist at the University of Connecticut Health Center, working on the elucidation of cell wall synthesis and assembly in Gram negative bacteria. After ten years, he accepted an appointment as Laboratory Director for the Fermentation and Bioseparations Facility in the Biotechnology Center at the UCONN campus in Storrs. His interests gradually included biochemical engineering. During the past 8 years, he has become involved in science and engineering education at the K-12 levels. He was founding director of the the da Vinci Project at the School of Engineering, which provided a week-long residential professional development workshop in engineering for middle and high school math and science teachers. He is currently pursuing a PhD thesis in science education at UCONN and works as a Science Education Specialist at the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology.

 

is a grade 5 teacher at Myrtle H. Stevens Elementary School in Rocky Hill. She has taught for 13 years. She holds a BS in Elementary Education, a MS in Special Education, and is currently working towards her Sixth Year Certificate in Educational Leadership. Is was the 2004 Connecticut Presidential Awardee for PAEMST.

 

Jo-Ann McCann
Jo-Ann has been employed in the Stratford Public Schools for 21 years. She formerly taught at Eli Whitney School in 4^th grade. She presently serves as Lead Science Teacher for grades K-6. Her present assignment includes writing science curriculum aligned to the state frameworks as well as modeling lessons for the teachers. She supports the teachers as well, by choosing the science and literacy materials that will help them to be successful in the classroom. She is the educator liaison for the MSP Science Grant with Ansonia and Milford Public Schools. In 2005, she was given the Human Relations Award by her colleagues in Stratford. She was honored in 2007 with the Environmental Educator Award by the CT Outdoor Environmental Education Assoc.

Louise McMinn
Louise McMinn is an eighth grade teacher at Scofield Magnet Middle School in Stamford. She has taught in middle school special education and science for twenty eight years. She is currently a master teacher in the Armada Project, a NSF funded research and mentoring program offered by the University of Rhode Island School of Oceanography.

 

Pat DeCoster
Pat DeCoster comes to C.E.S. with a wide range of experience in K-12 and college science education. With a B.A. and M.A. in biochemistry from Occidental College Pat worked in research before entering her career in education. Her curricular experience includes having been a district elementary/middle school science curriculum coordinator in Trumbull Public Schools, a curricular consultant for the Solano Department of Education in California as well as a high school science department chair. With over 20 years of classroom experience in both urban and suburban settings, Pat knows what works with students and enjoys working with classroom teachers. In addition to presenting at state and national conferences she has worked extensively with the CT Academy CASAP assessment and the Tri-State Consortium on assessment of science K-12 programs. Ms. DeCoster has published several articles in the CSTA Science Journal and the NSTA The Science Teacher.

is a science teacher in West Haven. She has been teaching for 17 years. She also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of New Haven where she teaches science methods classes and multicultural anti-bias classes. She is a BEST seminar facilitator and scorer for the State of Connecticut and is a Fellow of the CT Academy for Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology.

 

is a fifth grade teacher in Milford, CT. She has a BA in Environmental Science and an MEd. She is currently part of an MSP science cohort in Connecticut, working towards providing science resources and coaching for participating districts.

 

teaches at Torrington High School.

 

is the K-12 Science Supervisor in Middletown

Dr. Contant is the Science Curriculum and Instructon Specialist at LEARN. During her 30+ years as a science educator, she has worked in elementary, middle schools, preservice education, inservice, and informal settings to excite people about doing and knowing about science. She often says, " I don't know, let's find out!" or "That would be a good science project!"

 

Professor of Science Education emeritis, Eastern Connecticut State University and Project Oceanology.

 

formerly a consultant for SERC, Chris is the Math and Science coordinator for Vernon Public Schools.

 

 

newly a retired elementary teacher, Don will soon be leaving Connecticut for his next life as a science consultant!

 

 

teaches at Thomas Edison Middle School.

 

Angela (Angel) B. Tangney
Angel is currently Team Leader teaching 8^th grade science at Thomas Edison Middle School an ACES Science, Math, and Technology (laptop initiative) Magnet School in Meriden CT. She has over 20 years of teaching experience 15 years teaching Chemistry/Physics at H.R. Career H.S in New Haven, and has served as a team mentor for F.I.R.S.T Robotics for 9 years. Angel has worked on the 9-12 curriculum alignment and initiated the summer S.C.H.O.L.A.R. Program at Yale. She has served on the CSTA board as substitute Middle School Director in the absence of Janice Mooney Frank for the 2007-08 term.

 

Shallon Fingon
Shallon is the Science Instructional Team Leader at Rochambeau Middle School in Southbury, CT. She currently teaches 6th grade physical science and is working with 7th and 8th grade teachers to support their life and earth science curriculums. She has an extreme focus on connecting science and literacy and just presented "Using Science Journals in a Middle School Setting" at the NSTA National Conference in Boston. In addition to that she has presented at a regional NSTA conference and at the CT Science conference.

 

teaches chemistry. Anita also served as the CSTA secretary and Middlesex County Director.

 

teaches science at AI Prince Tech School

 

is a past president of CSTA, and served as the coordinator of the NSTA Hartford Regional Conference in 2005.

 

works as a science resource teacher for ACES.

 

is an associat professor of science education at Eastern Connecticut State University. She has current teaching certificates in general science and administration. Before moving to Connecticut, Jeanelle taught chemistry, physics and physical science at Luverne High School in Alabama. She is currently on sabbatical leave from Eastern and enjoying it!

 

a retired science teacher, Dave is active with CT Science Supervisors Association and the CT Academy.