Editorial Board

Editorial Director

Nancy P. Moreno received her Bachelor's degree in botany from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1974, and worked as an investigator and editor of the Flora of Veracruz Project in Mexico until 1985. After earning her Ph.D. in biology in 1993 from Rice University, she joined Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), where she is associate professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine and associate director of the Center for Educational Outreach. Dr. Moreno's research interests focus on developing effective collaborations among scientists and educators for the improvement of science education. Her activities involve the creation and dissemination of innovative science and health educational materials for students and the development of partnership programs to promote systemic change in science teaching and learning in schools. Currently, she is principal investigator of science education partnerships funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National Science Foundation. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the National Science Resources Center's Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform initiative, President of the National Association of Health Science Education Partnerships and a recent past member of the National Science Teachers Association Standing Committee on Preschool/Elementary Science Education.

Managing Editor

Deanne B. Erdmann received her Bachelor's degree in biology from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1972 and her Master's degree in biology from the same institution in 1973. Later that year, she joined the staff at Clear Lake High School in Houston, Texas, where she taught biology and served as science department chairman until 1999. In addition to her classroom responsibilities, she has worked with numerous curriculum initiatives, mentored new teachers, and participated in professional development activities for effective science teaching practices. During her tenure at Clear Lake High School, she served as a faculty advisor and mentor for student and scientist teams working together on the Lunar Growth Chamber at Space Center Houston, for the NASA/CCISD National Robotics competitions, and yearly local and international science fair competitions. After retiring from the Katy Independent School District in 2002, Mrs. Erdmann joined the staff at Baylor College of Medicine as a Senior Project Manager for the College's Center for Educational Outreach. In addition to mentoring new biology teachers, Mrs. Erdmann's interests center around developing materials to enhance and support science and math education in secondary schools.

Associate Editor

James P. Denk, MA received his Bachelor's degree in English and history, and his Master's degree in 17th Century British Literature from Texas Tech University in 1986 and 1990, respectively. While in graduate school, Mr. Denk taught freshman composition. He joined BCM in 1990, as an editorial assistant. He now serves as Administrative Associate and Senior Editor in the CEO. Mr. Denk is an author on more than 30 articles and editor on many CEO educational publications. He has served as a guest editor for a special edition of Academic Medicine and as consulting editor on the Technical Assistance Manual for the Association of American Medical College's Project 3000 by 2000. Mr. Denk also is editor for the "Music Business Made Simple" book series, and a published photographer, lyricist, and humorist. His current work at BCM focuses on developing and editing educational materials, producing extramural grants and contracts, and writing and editing academic articles.

Associate News Editor

Tadzia GrandPré received her bachelor's degree in neuroscience from Washington and Lee University in 1998. After earning her Ph.D. in neuroscience from Yale University in 2002, she spent several years as a postdoctoral fellow in the Neurobiology Department at Harvard Medical School. Dr. GrandPré joined BCM in 2007 as a Research Associate in the Center for Educational Outreach. She contributes to a variety of projects aimed at improving teaching and learning in science, including developing and editing materials for BCM's K8 Science website.

Editors

William A. Thomson is Deputy Director of Baylor College of Medicine's Center for Collaborative and Interactive Technologies and also holds an appointment as professor of Family and Community Medicine. For the past 25 years, he has directed numerous educational projects focusing on health-related issues funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, US Department of Education, the Health Resources Services Administration, and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute. Dr. Thomson also serves as Director of the Center for Educational Outreach (CEO) at BCM. The CEO has produced award-winning science- and health-related materials (the nervous system and environmental health) for children and the general public, funded by the National Institutes of Health. Widely published, he has served as guest editor for Academic Medicine. His research interests are minority health and the applications of information technology in teaching and learning. Dr. Thomson also is associate team lead for the NSBRI Education and Public Outreach Team. He received his doctoral degree in Administration and Health Education from Texas A&M University, College Station.

Michael Fordis, MD is the founding director of the Center for Collaborative and Interactive Technologies at Baylor College of Medicine. The Center leads Baylor's efforts in research, development and use of multimedia, information, and distance learning technologies in professional and patient education and related health care applications. Dr. Fordis also serves as the Associate Dean for Continuing Medical Education at Baylor and is active in both the Society for Continuing Medical Education (SACME) and in the Alliance for Continuing Medical Education. In SACME he serves on the Board, is the Southern Region Representative, and serves on the Endowment Council and Research Committee. He also serves on the Professional Education Committee of the American Heart Association and on the editorial board of Cancer Spectrum, the online Journal of National Cancer Institute.

In 2003, Dr. Fordis received the Fox Award from SACME for research in continuing medical education. In 2004 the Alliance for Continuing Medical Education presented Dr. Fordis with the President's Award for Exemplary Service in CME. While at the NIH, he received a number of awards including the Secretary's (Secretary of the Department of Heath and Human Services) Award for Exceptional Achievement (one of the highest awards bestowed by the Department of Health and Human Services-the federal agency that oversees the NIH), the NIH Director's Award, and recognition from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute for his efforts in science education. His research interests focus upon applications of technology to physician learning and behavioral change, outcomes assessment, and faculty resources.

Raye Lynn Alford earned her Bachelor's degree in biology from Davidson College in 1985 and her PhD in biochemistry from Baylor College of Medicine in 1992. She completed her postdoctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine in the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics. After completing her postdoctoral training, she joined the Baylor DNA Diagnostic Laboratory as Assistant Director. In 1996, Dr. Alford was board certified in Clinical Molecular Genetics by the American Board of Medical Genetics. She published her first book, Genetics & Your Health: A Guide for the 21st Century Family in 1999. In 1999 and 2000, Dr. Alford served as a consultant and media spokesperson for the Healthy Generations web site campaign of Pfizer Women's Health. Dr. Alford is currently Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Academic and Scientific Program Development in The Bobby R. Alford Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Communicative Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine. Her research is focused on genetic causes of hearing loss, and improving DNA diagnostic methods for genetic forms of hearing loss. Dr. Alford is a Fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics and Chair of their Education and CME committee. Dr. Alford is also a member of the Advisory Committee of the "GENE: Genetics Education Needs Evaluation" project of the March of Dimes. In 2003, Dr. Alford served as the exhibit designer and primary content developer for The Living Genome: Reading the Book of Life, a 3,000 square foot genetics/genomics exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

David Caprette received his Bachelor's degree in biology from Case-Western Reserve University in 1974 and his Ph.D. in regulatory biology from Cleveland State University in 1982. Following postdoctoral work at Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Houston he joined Rice University as a Laboratory Coordinator in 1987. Before turning to full time teaching Dr. Caprette conducted research in areas of physiology, cell biology, and biochemistry. Since 1987, he has been responsible for the development and teaching of undergraduate laboratory courses including general and cell biology, microbiology, physiology, and specialized courses such as cell culture and electron microscopy. His additional interests include the development of interdisciplinary collaborations among laboratory educators in the science and engineering, the promotion of scientific literacy among K-12 teachers through talks and workshops, and educational assessment and the development of effective teaching methods in the context of laboratory education.

Tadzia GrandPré received her bachelor's degree in neuroscience from Washington and Lee University in 1998. After earning her Ph.D. in neuroscience from Yale University in 2002, she spent several years as a postdoctoral fellow in the Neurobiology Department at Harvard Medical School. Dr. GrandPré joined BCM in 2007 as a Research Associate in the Center for Educational Outreach. She contributes to a variety of projects aimed at improving teaching and learning in science, including developing and editing materials for BCM's BioEd Online website.

Gail Bromiley McGee received her bachelor's degree and her Texas biology-teaching certificate from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. She attended the University of Texas in Austin, studying science education with a specific interest in botany and zoology. After beginning her career in the Dallas Independent School District, Mrs. McGee moved to Houston where she spent four years teaching at St. Pius X, a Catholic high school. While in the doctor's office, she found a map of the Houston Medical Center that illustrated the DeBakey High School for Health Professions, a magnet school for students interested in the field of health. She accepted a position and served as their biology teacher and science department chair for four years. She has recently moved to Carnegie Vanguard High School, the only all gifted and talented high school in the Houston Independent School District. While, Mrs. McGee hopes that all her students pursue a future in science her philosophy centers on preparing her students to be good citizens, consumers and voters. Mrs. McGee actively participates in professional development, including as a member of the National Association of Biology Teachers and as a participant of the Baylor GK-12 program. In March of 2004, Mrs. McGee received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science for the state of Texas. While in Washington DC receiving the award, she had the privilege of testifying for the Science Committee of the United States House of Representatives on the role of the federal government in science education.

David Fillman received his Bachelor's degree in biology from Baylor University in 1979, a Master's degree in entomology from Texas A&M in 1982, and a Doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of Houston in 1989. Dr. Fillman taught biology, chemistry, and physics at the high school level from 1983-1989, and zoology at the junior college level. He has been Program Director for Science at Galena Park ISD since 1990. Dr. Fillman has been a presenter for and a contributor to Baylor College of Medicine's school based programs since 1987.

Marlene MacLeish, EdD is Professor of Medical Education in the Department of Medical Education at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. She is a member of the Fernbank Science Center - SpaceStation Fernbank Advisory Board; member of the Board of Directors of Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education; and an Ad Hoc member of NASA's Life Sciences Advisory Subcommittee of the Life and Microgravity Sciences and Applications Advisory Committee. She leads the K-12 education and outreach team of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, a nationwide consortium of research institutions funded by NASA.

Barbara Z. Tharp, M.S. is an Assistant Professor of Family and Community Medicine at BCM. Before arriving at BCM, she taught grades 1–5 in the Houston Independent School District, both as a classroom teacher and as a Science Lab Specialist. Ms. Tharp is a primary author and teacher-trainer on BCM¹s curriculum development projects. She also coordinates several of the College¹s teacher professional development programs. She was a Master Teacher in the Rice University School Mathematics Project, President of the Metropolitan Association of Teachers of Science of Houston, and President of the Texas Council for Elementary Science. Ms. Tharp served on the National Science Teachers Association's Committee for Professional Development. She is a Fellow of the National Science Leadership Academy and is active in many other professional organizations.

Cindy Martinez-Wedig, PhD earned her bachelor's degree in diary science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1981, and her master's and doctoral degrees in dairy science at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana in 1985 and 1988, respectively. Currently, she is a lecturer in the Department of Biology at the University of Texas-Pan American (UT-PA) in Edinburg, TX, where she teaches courses in General Biology, Mammalian Physiology, Inquiry-Based Science and Cell Biology, directs a South Texas high school outreach program, and coordinates preparation of UT-PA biology majors interested in obtaining teacher certification in secondary education. She also was involved in developing an interdisciplinary science major for middle school teachers at UT-PA. In addition, since 1995, Dr. Martinez-Wedig has served as Program Coordinator for the Premedical Honors College (PHC) at UT-PA, an eight-year, high-school-through medical school program operated in collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine. Her responsibilities as coordinator include recruiting students, publishing and distributing a monthly newsletter, and conducting an on-line high school outreach program to improve academic preparedness of participating high school students. Since its establishment, the PHC has become a significant producer of the nation's Mexican-American medical students, and in 2001, it was awarded the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board STAR award for its pivotal role in expanding educational pathways for Texas students.

Ronald L. McNeel, Dr.P.H., received his Bachelor’s degree in biology and Master’s degree in physiology from the University of Houston. In 1974, he began a career in pediatric endocrinology research at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM). He later earned a degree in medical technology from The University of Texas (UT) Health Science Center-Houston, and then served as Hospital Laboratory Director at Mt. San Rafael Hospital, Trinidad, Colorado. In 1989, he returned to BCM as an instructor, and to research childhood obesity. He earned his Dr.P.H. in Community Health Practice from the UT School of Public Health in 2003, and has authored 28 peer-reviewed research articles. He later transitioned to a high school teaching career, and taught AP biology, anatomy and physiology, pre-AP biology, and Health Science Technology. In 2008, Dr. McNeel joined the CEO, where he serves on NSF-funded projects that partner scientists with Houston-area teachers, and collaborates with his CEO colleagues to develop science curriculum teaching modules.

Contributors

Sonia Rahmati Clayton received her Bachelor of Science degree in biology from UCLA. After earning her Ph.D. in Molecular Virology and Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine, she joined the Center for Educational Outreach at Baylor College of Medicine. As a hybrid scientist educator, one of her primary roles at the Center for Educational Outreach is to serve as a liaison between the educational and scientific communities in Houston. In this role, she helps to bring cutting edge biomedical science into K-12 classroom through programs that partner teachers with scientists and are funded by Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National Science Foundation. She trains teachers and undergraduates in laboratory techniques and also collaborates with her colleagues in the Center for Educational Outreach to develop science curriculum for grades 5-12.

Charlesetta Deason is a native Houstonian and a proud product of the Houston Independent School District, graduating from Booker T. Washington High School. She received both her BS and M.Ed. degrees from Prairie View A&M University. She has studied at Harvard University, the University of Houston, and the University of Texas Health Science Center and received her Doctorate degree in Administration from Texas Southern University. She has worked in the Houston Independent School District as a teacher and administrator for over 25 years, and has been principal at Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions for 15 years. Her work has allowed her to travel to China and Taiwan as a speaker and presenter. Dr. Deason is active in her community, serving on many boards and organizations, such as the American Heart Association and the National Congress of Black Women. She is a member of the Worthington Baptist Church and works with the youth and scholarship committees, Rev. Lawrence Deason is her pastor. Dr. Deason has one son and three grandchildren. She enjoys reading and running, and has completed two marathons.

David F. Dinges is professor and director of the Unit for Experimental Psychiatry, and chief of the Division of Sleep and Chronobiology in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He currently serves as team leader for the Neurobehavioral and Psychosocial Factors Team of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI).

An expert in the biological limits of human performance relative to sleep and circadian biology, Dr. Dinges' scientific work for NSBRI and NASA has focused on identifying technologies that improve performance in operational settings and on identifying and preventing neurobehavioral problems in space. With support from NSBRI, he currently is directing an experiment involving aquanauts and astronauts participating in the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) 12 project in an underwater research laboratory off the Florida coast.

Internationally renowned, Dinges is a corresponding member of the International Academy of Astronautics and a member of the National Institutes of Health Council. He serves as president of the World Federation of Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine Societies, and he was the 2004 recipient of the first Decade of Behavior Research Award from the American Psychological Association. In 2007, he received a Distinguished Public Service Medal "for outstanding contributions to improving the health, safety, and performance of human space flight in the behavioral health and performance area." He currently is editor in chief of SLEEP, the leading scientific journal on sleep research and sleep medicine.

Pamela G. Ferry received her Bachelor's degree in human biology from the Stanford University in 1987, and her M.H.S. in international health from the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health in 1992. Ms. Ferry also spent two years pursuing graduate studies in nutritional sciences at Cornell University. Ms. Ferry's public health experience includes four years of community health and development work in Santa Cruz, Bolivia and two years as executive director of Communities Conquering Cancer, a collaborative breast cancer network offering a continuum of services for uninsured women in northwest Houston. Ms. Ferry joined Baylor College of Medicine in 1997, where she is currently assistant professor and assistant director of the Center for Educational Outreach. She is primarily involved in programs for high school and college students interested in science and the health professions, particularly students from disadvantaged backgrounds and medically underserved populations. Her research interests include identifying effective interventions to help disadvantaged students succeed in medical and science education pathways, high school and college student perspectives, career interests, and understanding of education/career pathways, and development of skills and behaviors related to communication and professionalism. Ms. Ferry is the associate director and instructor for the Baylor College of Medicine/Rice University Honors Premedical Academy, sponsored by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; Baylor College of Medicine coordinator for the Joint Admission Medical Program, established by the Texas Legislature; and coordinator of the OPTIONS (Opening Pathways for Teacher Instructional Opportunities in the Natural Sciences) program, funded by the Houston Endowment, Inc. and the U.S. Department of Education.

Richard A. Gibbs received a B.Sc. (Hons) in 1979 and a Ph.D. in Genetics and Radiation Biology in 1986 from the University of Melbourne, Melbourne Australia. He moved to Houston, Texas as a postdoctoral fellow at Baylor College of Medicine to study the molecular basis of human X-linked diseases and to develop technologies for rapid genetic analysis. During this period, he developed several fundamental technologies for nucleic acid analysis. In 1991, he joined the faculty at Baylor College of Medicine and played a key role in the early planning and development phases of the Human Genome Project. In 1996, he established the BCM Human Genome Sequencing Center when the College was chosen as one of six programs to complete the final phase of the Human Genome Project. He currently is Director of the Human Genome Sequencing Center and Wofford Cain Professor of Molecular & Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine. In addition to his work on the Human Genome Project, Dr. Gibbs has made significant contributions to the deciphering of the fly, mouse, dictyostelium, and rat genomes. He has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Michael E. DeBakey, M.D., Excellence in Research Award in 2000.

Tadzia GrandPré received her bachelor's degree in neuroscience from Washington and Lee University in 1998. After earning her Ph.D. in neuroscience from Yale University in 2002, she spent several years as a postdoctoral fellow in the Neurobiology Department at Harvard Medical School. Dr. GrandPré joined BCM in 2007 as a Research Associate in the Center for Educational Outreach. She contributes to a variety of projects aimed at improving teaching and learning in science, including developing and editing materials for BCM's K8 Science website.

Joanne R. Lupton, Ph.D., is a Regent's Professor, University Faculty Fellow, and holder of the William W. Allen Endowed Chair in Human Nutrition at Texas A&M University. She chaired the Macronutrients Panel for the Dietary Reference Intakes, Food and Nutrition Board, National Academy of Sciences, and also chaired the National Academy panel to determine the definition of dietary fiber. She spent one year at the Food and Drug Administration helping to develop levels of scientific evidence required for health claims and served on the 2005 Dietary Guidelines Committee. She is a lifetime associate of the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Lupton is equally committed to teaching and research and has received teaching awards from the USDA and the Association of Former Students at Texas A&M, among others. She has mentored more than 50 MS and Ph.D. students while at Texas A&M, and received the Dannon mentoring award in 2004. Dr. Lupton is President of the American Society for Nutrition, and program leader for nutrition, physical fitness and rehabilitation for the National Space Biomedical Research Institute. Dr. Lupton has more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, and her research focuses on the effect of diet on colon physiology and colon cancer, with a particular emphasis on dietary fiber and n-3 fatty acids. Her research is supported by grants from the NIH/NCI, NASA, and NSBRI. She is Director of the Nutrition Research Core for the NIEHS-supported Center for Environmental and Rural Health at Texas A&M University. Her undergraduate degree is from Mt. Holyoke College and her Ph.D. (in nutrition) is from the University of California at Davis.

Lisa M. Meffert received her Bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Houston in 1982, and received her Ph.D. in biology at the same institution in 1988. She then progressed to the rank of Research Associate Professor until her appointment as Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Rice University in July 2000. Her research program involves quantitative genetic investigations of animal behavior, sexual selection, speciation, and conservation biology. Meffert has served on the editorial board for the journal Evolution. She has also been tapped multiple advisory boards for the National Science Foundation, as well as one for the National Aeronautics and Space Association. Her current research project, her fourth funded by the National Science Foundation, is examining the effects of selection and immigration in the persistence of small populations.

Alana D. Newell joined the Center for Educational Outreach (CEO) as a Project Intern in 2004, while completing her Bachelor's degree in sociology from Rice University. After receiving her degree in 2005, Ms. Newell joined the CEO full-time. Currently, she is the Center's Education Coordinator. In this role, she manages the details of various CEO professional development programs, and serves as liaison between the directors and participants of those programs. Additionally, Ms. Newell assists with the preparation of content for the BioEd Online website, management and distribution of CEO printed materials, and program data collection and organization.

Evan H. Siemann is assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Rice University. His research interests are population and community ecology, forests, grasslands, plant ecology, insect ecology, plant/herbivore interactions, biodiversity, and conservation. He has published numerous articles on these topics and has served on the editorial boards for a number of professional journals, including Bioscience and Ecology. Currently, his work focuses on investigating how local environmental factors (e.g. enemies, resources, disturbance regime and recruitment limitation) interact with post-invasion adaptation to determine the likelihood and severity of Chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum) invasions into East Texas coastal prairie, mesic forests, and floodplain forests. He also is engaged in a number of research projects related to controlling exotic plant and animal invasions into Texas ecosystems. Dr. Siemann received his Bachelor's degree from Cornell University in 1990 and his Doctoral degree from the University of Minnesota in 1997.

Gregory L. Vogt, Ed.D., received a Bachelor’s degree in general science education, and a Master’s degree in education/Earth science, from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Dr. Vogt began his professional career as an 8th grade science teacher in the Milwaukee Public Schools. Several years later, he joined the NASA Aerospace Education Services Program, through which he worked with more than 1,000 schools across the Midwest. He then transferred to NASA Headquarters to work in educational publications. Later, Dr. Vogt was recruited to be the executive director of a new science museum, Discovery World, in Milwaukee, and he led the museum’s development and opening. After receiving his Doctorate in curriculum and instruction, Dr. Vogt became the Crew Educational Affairs Liaison in the Astronaut Office at Johnson Space Center. His work there involved supporting space flight educational events and developing classroom videos. Dr. Vogt is a curriculum writer and children’s author with more than 80 children’s science books published. His work at BCM focuses on special projects, professional development for teachers, student support, and the development of educational materials.

Tracy Volz is an award-winning Senior Lecturer in Professional Communication in the School of Engineering at Rice University. In 2008 Dr. Volz joined the Dean of Engineering’s Office after spending nine years with the Cain Project in Engineering and Professional Communication. The Cain Project was established to support the integration of written, oral, and visual communication instruction in graduate and undergraduate science and engineering courses at Rice. Prior to her work with the Cain Project, Dr. Volz was a Project Specialist in the Center for Collaborative and Interactive Technology at Baylor College of Medicine. Her scholarly interests focus on oral presentations, technical poster design, and pedagogical innovation. She earned a Ph.D. in English from Rice University and a B.S. in English from the University of Iowa.

Michael T. Vu earned a Bachelor's degree in education from the University of Houston in 2000, and was an elementary science teacher at Gary L. Herod Elementary School in the Houston Independent School District (HISD) from 2000-2007. During this time, Mr. Vu attended-and later served as a Master Teacher in-the Houston Urban Learning in a Networked Community (HU-LINC) Summer Science Program, conducted jointly by HISD and Baylor College of Medicine (BCM). Mr. Vu also participated in BCM's Science Educator Leadership Fellows program and was a member of HISD's Elementary Science PLC Committee on planning and implementation of science curricula. He has presented workshops and presentations with BCM at several NSTA, CAST and TCES conferences. He also has participated with the University of Texas Medical Branch in the Environmental Health Sciences Summer Institute for K-12 Educators. In 2007, Mr. Vu joined the staff at BCM as a Senior Project Coordinator, with responsibility for curriculum development and coordination of various outreach programs. In addition, Mr. Vu currently is completing his Masters of Science degree at Rice University, with an expected graduation date of December 2007.