Laura Dugan
Hi. I am Laura Dugan. I am originally from Chattanooga, TN and am a graduate of Appalachian State University in Boone, NC with a B.S. in Ecology and Environmental Biology and a concentration in Sustainable Development. I am currently a 4th year Ph.D. candidate in the Ecology, Evolution and Behavior department of UT Austin where I am co-advised by Dean Hendrickson and Camille Parmesan. My research is focused on the invasive species problem. Specifically, I study an invasive fish in Cuatro Ciénegas, México, quantifying its impacts and modeling its potential distribution. I am also investigating a novel eradication method that would allow for the total elimination of an invasive species without the undesirable side effects of chemical removal or the risk of biological control. I am very excited this year to be a GK-12 fellow working with pre-AP and AP Biology students at Pflugerville High School and with 4th grade students at Blanton Elementary. Through this program, I hope to improve my teaching and communication skills and in return to aid in developing children’s love for science. In the future, I plan to be a research scientist/professor at a university.

Lonnissa Nguyen
Lonnissa Nguyen is a UCLA graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics and Cybernetics, specializing in Biomedical Engineering. Currently, Lonnissa is a 4th year doctoral candidate in the Biomedical Engineering department at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research focuses on fabricating bioactive PEG-based hydrogel scaffolds for the purpose of engineering hybrid tissues, i.e. cartilage and bone. The ultimate goal of her research project is to control multi-lineage differentiation of mesenchymal progenitor stem cells (MSCs) and ultimately achieve hybrid tissue-structures from a single stem cell population. Before the GK-12 program, Lonnissa has been involved in a number of outreach programs including GEAR UP and Junior Achievement. Lonnissa believes that every child deserves the same opportunity to reach their full potential. She hopes that her involvement in the GK-12 program will help improve her teaching skills as well as increase the children’s interest in science. After completing her PhD, Lonnissa hopes to become a professor and teach at the university level.

Laura Read
Hi, I am Laura Read originally from Dallas, TX and returning to school after completing my B.S. in Chemistry at The University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. I spent two years after college working as an Americorps member in AZ, for the USGS in Oregon, the USFS in WA, and traveling around Central America. At UT Austin, my thesis research is focused in the Rio Grande River Basin, where I work with Dr. McKinney on establishing environmental flows for the river and addressing the current and projected impacts of climate change. Currently I am a GK-12 fellow who educates 6th graders about science at O. Henry Middle School in Austin, TX.

Michelle Brown
Michelle Brown received a B.A. in English Literature, with a minor in Environmental Sciences from Northeastern University in Boston, and a M.Ed. from the University of Texas at Austin in Science Education. This is her 4th year at O.Henry Middle School in Austin I.S.D., teaching 6th and 7th grade science. She is excited to work with her GK-12 fellow to create exciting and rich learning opportunities for all of her students so that they can experience the wonders of science.

Candy Ellard
Candy Ellard has been a mathematics and science educator for 29 years. In 2009 she was the recipient of the Outstanding Texas Science Educator Award by the Texas Academy of Scientists along with the PAEMST from the National Science Foundation. Ms. Ellard also works closely with the UTeach Program at the University of Texas, a teacher preparation program coordinated by the College of Natural Sciences. She received her B.S. from East Texas Baptist University and her masters in Curriculum and Instruction from UT Austin. Ms. Ellard teaches 5th grade science at Pillow Elementary School.

Gretchen Kehrberg
Gretchen Kehrberg received a B.A. in Biology from Bethel College, Kansas and an M.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana. She spent six years working as a naturalist/environmental educator for the Seattle Parks Department in Seattle, WA. Before moving to Austin, TX to get her teaching certificate, Gretchen worked for the National Wildlife Federation in Washington, DC. This is her third year as a 6th grade science teacher at O. Henry Middle School (Austin ISD).

Andy Lyons
Andy Lyon is in his 11th year teaching science at Burnet Middle School where he has taught both 6th and 7th grades. He earned his BBA from St. Edward’s University. He has been bringing students to UT for many years through TAME, Explore UT, Un Sabado Gigante in Engineering and the Environmental Science Institute Lecture Series. Along with having a graduate fellow in the classroom, Andy creates opportunities for students to explore science ideas and to think of themselves as scientists. The goal is science literacy and hopefully, because of their experiences, they may choose to follow a science related career.

Rob Quarles
A graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington, Rob received a B.A. in Secondary Education focusing on outdoor education and ecology. Rob has been teaching, coaching, or both for thirty-one years. He currently teaches AP Biology, Pre-AP Biology, and is developing an AP Environmental Science course at Pflugerville High School. Rob focuses on sustainability issues, wildlife habitat, and local water resources in his classes. His research interests include the impact of climate change on freshwater and coastal ecosystems in Texas.

Huck Spear
Huck spent the last seven years teaching 4th grade bilingual education at Zavala Elementary School and Blanton Elementary School. He graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University with a B.A. in International Studies and Spanish. While teaching reading, writing, math, social studies, English and Spanish to his students, science remains the subject area where he is perhaps most passionate. He is excited to work with the GK-12 program this year to provide ever more rich and interesting science opportunities for his students.