Principal Investigators
Dr. Steven Farber
Scientific Advisor
Carnegie Institution for Science
Baltimore, MD
(410) 246-3072
farber@ciwemb.edu
Work in my laboratory utilizes the zebrafish, to visualize biochemical processes in living embryos by exploiting their accessibility and optical clarity. Specifically, the laboratory has focused on studying lipid modifying and transport processes in the developing embryo. As a Co-Creator of BioEYES, I am committed to improving K-12 science education. I strive to communicate to students something that can often be lost in traditional approaches to science education; the excitement and wonder that I routinely experience when addressing biological problems. I am well suited for the type of research that I do in that I have a B.S. degree in Electrical and Biomedical Engineering (Rutgers) and a P.h.D. in Molecular Neurobiology (MIT) and Masters in Technology and Public Policy (MIT). I am presently an Investigator in the Embryology Department of the Carnegie Institution for Science and an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Johns Hopkins Biology Department.
Dr. Jamie Shuda
Director of Life Science Outreach,
Co-Principal Investigator
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
(215) 746-7679
jshuda@sas.upenn.edu
I always knew that I would work with children. At first I wanted to be a child psychologist, but during a part-time job in college I realized that teaching is what I enjoy the most. As a result, I have spent several years developing Project BioEYES and other science outreach projects. I also spent a few years at Sharon Hill School on data reform initiatives. I miss the students now that I am back working on BioEYES full time, but this project allows me to impact thousands of students each year! At BioEYES I oversee the program’s development and help other universities start up BioEYES in their local area. Currently, I am at the University of Pennsylvania as Director of Life Science Outreach at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Coordinator of Life Science Education at the Netter Center for Community Partnerships. I received a MS.Ed in Elementary Education and an Ed.D. in Education Leadership and Policy Studies. I enjoy working with such a dedicated hard working staff who all share the same goal of inspiring and exciting students about science.
Outreach Educators/Staff
Anita Beebe
Outreach Educator
University of Notre Dame
South Bend, IN
(571) 631-1401
abeebe@nd.edu
I have wanted to be a scientist since the 5th grade. In middle school I fell in love with earth/space science and later received a B.A. in Geology from SUNY Plattsburg. After two years of graduate studies in science education at Florida State University, I taught my own 3 children at home for 10 years. I then heard about an attractive position at the University of Notre Dame. As Notre Dame's BioEYES Educator I bring zebrafish to the surrounding schools so that students of all ages can study them for an entire week. As I work with zebrafish and learn more about the many ways they contribute to scientific research I become more and more fascinated with them. I love working with the students, and am encouraged by their enthusiasm towards the fish and their embryos.
Valerie Butler
Program Manager and Educator
Carnegie Institution for Science
Baltimore, MD
(410) 246-3041
butler@ciwemb.edu
My love of science is fueled by a passion for learning; that there is still much we don't know excites me to no end! I delight in sharing my enthusiasm and curiosity for science with students. I have especially enjoyed working with minority and under-represented youth. I have a B.S. in biology and over a decade of experience in graphic and web design. I value volunteerism and have done work for federal, state, and local environmental and research organizations, including the Jones Falls Watershed Association, the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy, the U.S. Geological Service Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. I am an affiliate with the Chesapeake Watershed Network and The Wildlife Society. I have banded birds on the Chesapeake Bay, wrangled snakes on the Eastern Shore, bicycled across the United States and Ontario, and designed for local riverkeepers (among other clients). I bring these skills and my nonprofit experience to my position as a BioEYES program manager and educator.
Karena Curtis
BioEYES Facilitator
Baltimore County Public Schools
(410) 887-4251
kcurtis@bcps.org
Over the years, I have worked with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' Scales and Tales program and as a Master Educator for the Maryland State Department of Education. Having taught in Baltimore County for seventeen years, I have had the privilege of teaching at the elementary, middle, and high school level. This year, I am thrilled to join the BioEYES program as the facilitator for Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS). In this position, I am in charge of scheduling, implementing, developing, and refining the BioEYES curriculum. I will certainly use the skills, strategies, and knowledge that I gained when I earned my B.S. in Special Education, M.S. in Elementary Education/Middle School Science, and my Administration Certificate. I enjoy sharing my love of science with my students and BioEYES gives me the opportunity to do just that with hundreds of fifth graders across Baltimore County. It is wonderful to see students' enthusiasm for the program as they complete the hands-on activities with zebrafish. Watching as the students make real-world connections while collaborating with one another is very rewarding!
Chandra Harvey
Outreach Educator
Carnegie Institution for Science
Baltimore, MD
(410) 246-3004
harvey@ciwemb.edu
BioEYES is my ultimate dream job! I have finally found a program that combines my passion for fish, education, and a career in the sciences! As a child I spent most of my time caring for fish and other animals. Although I had a strong interest in animals, my aspiration was to become a scientist and cure diseases. I received my B.S. in chemistry and minored in biology and became an analytical chemist. For 12 years, I worked for a host of major pharmaceutical companies to develop methods and ensure the safety of over the counter medications. Last year I became a certified Arlington Regional Master Naturalist in VA. As a result, I volunteered as a stream monitor, participated on several boating expeditions with the VA Dept. of Game & Inland Fisheries catching snakeheads, and promoted Trout in the Classroom for Trout Unlimited in Arlington. All of these experiences led me to BioEYES. Watching this program in action ignited a drive to work as an outreach educator. It gave me an opportunity to see how I could take my excitement for fish and science and open up doors for students who had misconceptions about the field. As an educator, I will be focusing on delivering Your Watershed, Your Backyard. This will allow me to teach kids about the Chesapeake Bay and local watersheds, demonstrating the importance of water quality by leading student field trips to perform water tests, to identify macroinvertebrates in streams, and organizing trout releases for Trout in the Classroom. In addition to these activities, I also feed sharks at the National Aquarium. It's exciting to share this with students and to see the reactions on their faces!
Tracy Nelson
Outreach Educator
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
tracyn@mail.med.upenn.edu
I am so excited to join BioEYES. As a former 5th grade teacher who had BioEYES come to their classroom, I saw firsthand how engaging it was for students. It is definitely something special and I'm glad to be a part of it. Working for BioEYES combines my biology and teaching background perfectly. I was also a graduate student at Penn and it feels very comfortable being back here, just in a different capacity now. I'm looking forward to great teaching/learning moments with students of all ages as I visit a different school each week. A scientist lives in each one of us and every student deserves the opportunity to do real science.
Robert Vary
Outreach Educator
Carnegie Institution for Science
Baltimore, MD
(410) 246-3041
vary@ciwemb.edu
In college, I worked in my school's planetarium for two years, and earned my B.S. in physics by writing, producing, and performing four planetarium shows. This managed to combine two of my great loves: science and performing. Since graduating, I have continued working in informal science education, first as an Outreach Specialist at the Maryland Science Center for five years and, since 2008, as Science Outreach Educator for the Carnegie Institution's Project BioEYES in Baltimore. Throughout those years, I've never tired of seeing the spark flare up inside a child when they first truly figure out that science can be fun and exciting.
Proudly partnered for the advancement of science education.
