2002-2003 GK-12 Program Participants

GK-12 Fellows

  Shawn Brumbaugh

Shawn Brumbaugh is originally from California and completed his B.S. in Conservation and Resource Studies at the University of California at Berkeley. He has worked as a field biologist for several national parks and the California Dept. of Fish and Game before entering graduate school at UT. His research interests are in plant ecology with a specific focus on the effects of herbivory on plant communities. He is married and has a
young daughter.

  Johnathan Bumgarner

Johnathan Bumgarner grew up in the north Dallas area is currently pursuing a B.S. in geology with an emphasis in hydrogeology and environmental geology. He plans to start graduate school next semester and will be studying stable isotope geochemistry. Johnathan has been happily married for 6 years.

  Larry Diamond

Larry Diamond is originally from California and attended UCLA and Pennsylvania State University prior to becoming a doctoral student in geography at UT. Larry is particularly interested in the environmental and social impacts of agriculture in the U.S. and Latin America.. His work involves using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) to ask questions, see patterns, and manage data about the environment.

  Dennis Ruez

Dennis Ruez is originally from Illinois and attended Murray State University and the University of Florida before attending graduate school in geology at UT. His research involves the effects of climate change on fossil mammals and fossil communities over time. Dennis has conducted extensive field research in Idaho, Texas and Indonesia.

GK-12 Teachers

  Adrian Carrales

http://www.austinschools.org/kealing/magnet/index.html

Adrian Carrales has a B.A. in Biology from the University of Texas at Austin. He has worked in the Texas Dept. of Health and in a clinical pathology lab before becoming a teacher in the Pflugerville school district. He currently teaches 7th and 8th grade Astronomy, Earth Science and Life Science in the Kealing Jr. High Magnet Program in the Austin Independent School District.

  Donna Clarke

http://www.roundrockisd.org/rrhs/

Donna Clarke is originally from New Orleans where she attended Tulane and the University of New Orleans. She has worked as a naturalist and has taught science in both Louisiana and Texas. Donna teaches pre-AP Biology, AP Biology and Science Fair at Round Rock High School. She is currently working on a master's degree in Educational Technology at UT Brownsville.

  Lynn Kirby - Coordinating Teacher

http://www.austinschools.org/kealing/magnet/index.html

Lynn Kirby earned her B.S. in Geology from the University of Texas in Austin and has worked as an oil and gas consultant and network administrator before starting her tenure as a teacher in the Austin Independent School District. Lynn has many years of experience as a public school science teacher and currently teaches 7th and 8th grade Earth Science and Science Olympiad in the Kealing Jr. High Magnet Program.

  Michele Mann

http://rbms.leander.isd.tenet.edu/

Michele Mann has a B.S. in Biology from Furman University and a Masters in Science Education from the University of South Florida. Michele has worked as a teacher and researcher in Norfolk, Virginia. She currently teaches 8th grade integrated science at Running Brushy Middle School in the Leander Independent School District.

  Dell Passovoy

http://www.roundrockisd.org/stonypoint/

Dell Passovoy has many years of public school teaching experience in both California and Texas. She has also worked as a science/math coordinator as well as a free-lance science and math writer. Dell teaches regular Biology, pre-AP Biology and Science Research and Design in Biology at Stony Point High School in the Round Rock Independent School District.

  Jennifer Vieira

http://rbms.leander.isd.tenet.edu/

Jennifer Vieira earned her B.S. in Applied Learning and Development from the University of Texas at Austin and teaches 8th grade integrated science at Running Brushy Middle School in Leander. Both Jennifer and Michele volunteered to co-sponsor a group of 8th graders for the "Volvo Ocean Adventure Young Environmentalist Contest."

GK-12 UTeach Intern

  Tina Chao

Tina is a junior Biology major in the UTeach program currently seeking a composite science certification. She is a certified as a pharmacy technician, EMT-basic, and CPR instructor hoping to merge biology instruction with health science for students interested in the medical field.

Program Coordinator

  Bruce Hall

Bruce Hall graduated from Texas Tech University with a BS in Zoology in 1977 and continued with graduate work on the imported fire ant. He helped Dr. Robert Mitchell teach the Comparative Invertebrate Zoology course at Tech for three years. Later he was a research associate in Dr. Lester Reed’s biochemistry lab at the University of Texas. There he conducted research on mitochondrial multi-enzyme complexes and is credited with co-authoring several scientific papers. He taught Marine science at James Bowie High School (AISD) for 10 years and Aquatic Science at Stony Point High School (RRISD) for 6 years. He served as the first Program Coordinator for the GK-12 project and is currently teaching at Lake Travis High School.

Principal Investigator

  Jay Banner

Dr. Banner's research interests include the application of field, petrologic, chemical and isotopic methods to studying the chemical evolution of groundwater and ancient oceans, and the control of changing climate on these processes. Modern aquifers and ancient limestones and cave deposits provide excellent records of these processes.