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Meet the Current IPSEs!

Zoe Downing received a B.A. in physics from Cornell College and has participated in physics research projects at Penn State and CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. She spent a year working as an investment baking analyst on Wall Street before returning to Penn State to pursue teaching. She is currently working towards her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, Science Education and her secondary physics certification. As an IPSE, she is working on materials discovery projects for the Liquid Metals demo and the 4th museum show.
Nick Downs is currently a graduate student at Penn State pursing a certfication in Elementary Education. He holds a bachelor's degree in Broadcast/Cable and worked with Penn State Football for 15 years before attending graduate school. He is helping update and redsign parts of the MRSEC webstie as well as helping with the summer REU & RET programs. Nick will be student teaching 4th grade at Gray's Woods elementary school as part of Penn State's nationally recognized Professional Development School (PDS) during the upcoming school year.
Elizabeth Haggerty received her B.S in Biology from Penn State in May 2008. As an ISPE she is working on developing activities for the nano gold for cancer therapy demo. Currently, she is working on her Masters and Teacher Certification in Curriculum and Instruction, with a focus on biology education. After graduation, she plans to teach high school biology or work in an informal education institution.
Cecilia Tang is currently pursuing her Master's in Curriculum and Instruction at Penn State University where she also completed her undergrad in Biology. She joined the IPSE program in Spring of 2009 and is working on materials discovery projects related to the Antibacterial Silver Demo in the Small Wonders show. Followinggraduation, she plans to teach secondary level Biology in the greater Philadelphia area.

 

Meet the Former IPSEs!

Jacqueline Lull is currently a graduate student at Cornell University pursing a Masters of Art in Teaching with an emphasis on Chemistry. She holds a bachelor's degree in Chemistry and worked in the pharmaceutical industry before attending graduate school. She is currently working in Margaret Frey's laboratory at Cornell University developing activities for students based on research being done in the laboratory.
Erin O'Shea is pursuing her degree in teaching secondary chemistry in the Masters of the Arts in Teaching Program at Cornell University. She received her B.A. from Binghamton University in Psychology with a minor in German and taught secondary German before coming to graduate school. Currently, she is working in Abe Stroock's laboratory at Cornell on a model for children exploring the anamolous behaviors of water.
Julie Brennan received her B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh, and is currently working on finishing her M.S in Chemistry and her secondary chemistry certification at Penn State. As an IPSE, she helped develop the Nanogold for Cancer Therapy demo and is currently working on developing materials discovery projects related to the Small Wonders museum show.
Emily Herron
Rohan Lewis received his B.S. in Automotive Technology Management, Associates of Applied Science, and Associates of Applied Science Toyota Emphasis from Pennsylvania College of Technology. As an IPSE, he worked on the Nanogold for Cancer Treatment demo for the Small Wonders show as well as the development of a related materials discovery project. He is currently enrolled in an M.S. program in Workforce Education with a focus in Training and HRD.
Tiffany Fleming received her B.A. in Biology from Marlboro College and her MAT in Adolescent Education from Cornell University. As an IPSE, she completed a materials discovery project on nanotechnology and stain-resistant fabric. She is certified to teach 5-12 general science and 7-12 life science and is currently teaching 8th grade enriched physical science in Ithica, NY.
Kirsten Miller received her B.S. in meterology from Penn State in May 2005. As an IPSE she is working on microencapsulation and cell membrane activities. She currently is working on her master's in education and plans on becoming an earth science teacher upon graduation.
Mike Kochuba graduated from Penn State in May 2004 with a B.S. in environmental soil science. He is working on DNA activities for the IPSE program. Mike is also working on a master's in education and plans on becoming an earth and space science teacher.
Greg Mason graduated from Penn State in May 2006 with a B.S. in secondary education, with a physics option. He is the webmaster of the IPSE site as well as the MRSEC site. He is currently working on a DVD/CD project for the third museum show. He plans on becoming a high school physics, science, or math teacher next year.
Cathy Jordan served as an IPSE Intern at the Cornell site, beginning in the spring 2004 semester. Cathy has a bachelor degree in Science of Earth Systems, an interdisciplinary field at Cornell, and completed her New York teacher certification in secondary earth science in 2005. For her laboratory internship, she worked with Professor Margaret Frey's research group in the Cornell Department of Textiles and Apparel. She interned for one summer at the Philadelphia Franklin Institute and over a year at the Ithaca Science center. She is currently working as a certified, middle school earth science teacher in Massachusetts.
Karianne Chessario Smith helped pioneer the IPSE program in September 2003. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology from Penn State University in 1998. Before joining the IPSE program, Karianne worked at AccuWeather as a meteorologist and task/schedule manager for five years. Some of her duties at the company included serving as a national on-air television and radio personality and performing education outreach for various Pennsylvania schools. She completed her Master’s of Education in Earth Science with a minor in Curriculum and Instruction in August 2005. In addition, she is a certified Earth Science, General Science and Physics teacher. Karianne developed two Material’s Discovery Projects (MDP): Polymers and Molecular Switches. She is currently working in the State College Area School District in Pennsylvania as a physical science teacher.
Natasha Eckert graduated with her B.S. in Biochemistry and a minor in Classical Civilization from Union College in Schenectady, NY in 2002. She came to Penn State in the fall of 2002, where she worked as a chemistry lab teaching assistant for two years before joining the IPSEs in May 2004. She completed her Masters in Education in Curriculum and Instruction with certification in Biology and Chemistry in August of 2005. Natasha developed the Electronic Paper and Ink Materials Discovery Project (MDP) and the Antibiotics MDP. Natasha is currently working at the Norristown School District in eastern Pennsylvania as a chemistry teacher.
Kim Cossey Earnheart received her B.S. in chemistry from Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, OK. After working on her Master’s Degree in Organic Chemistry, Kim joined the IPSEs in the fall of 2004. As an IPSE she has developed the Microencapsulation Materials Discovery Project. She is concurrently working towards her PhD in Chemistry Education. After graduation, Kim would like to be a professor at a small university.
Rachel Barry graduated from Penn State in May 2004 with a B.S. in Physics and minors in both Mathematics and German. She jumped right on the IPSE team immediately after graduation. Rachel designed the Sand/Granular Media Materials Discovery Project. Rachel is currently working towards her Masters in Education and her certification to teach high school Physics.
Whitney Ortman graduated from Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA with a B.S. in physics and mathematics in 2001 and from Penn State University with a M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction in 2004 with teaching certification in physics and chemistry. She joined the IPSE program in the spring of 2004 and developed the Zeolites Materials Discovery Project. Since leaving the IPSE program in August 2004, Whitney is the physics teacher at Philipsburg-Osceloa Area Senior High School. Because of contacts made through the IPSE program, she attended the Fall 2004 Materials Research Society Meeting as a guest teacher and presented the Gummi-Worms demonstration to the symposium on materials science education. Whitney returned to Penn State during the summer of 2005 as an RET and worked on designing a macroscopic self assembly activity before returning to teach physics in the fall.