Sally Goetz Shuler is the Executive Director of the National Science Resources Center (NSRC), which is sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution and The National Academies. The mission of the NSRC is to improve the teaching of science in the nation’s schools.
Since the inception of the NSRC in 1985, Ms. Shuler was the Deputy Director for Development, External Relations and Outreach. In that capacity, she was responsible for outreach programs, external relations, and development for the Center’s programs. Programs include disseminating information about exemplary science curriculum resources, developing innovative science curriculum materials for students, and sponsoring leadership development and technical assistance programs for school districts and community leaders.
She has over three decades of experience working to improve K-12 science education at the local, national, and international levels.
At the classroom level, she has ten years of experience as a high school biology, earth science, and mathematics teacher in both private and public schools. She has also been a science instructor for adult education in Fairfax County, Virginia.
At the district level, she served for five years as the K-12 science resource specialist for the Fairfax County Public Schools, the nation’s tenth largest school district. In this position, she worked with teachers and school administrators representing 130 elementary schools, 23 intermediate, and 23 high schools to develop and sustain high-quality inquiry-centered science programs for 160,000 K-12 students.
Ms. Shuler is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Keystone Science Center and an Advisory Board Member of the Merck Institute for Science Education and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. In addition, Ms. Shuler has served as a consultant or has been an advisory board member to many other organizations, including the National Science Foundation, the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS), the Education Development Center (EDC), the Massachusetts Commission for the Arts and Humanities, the Mr. Wizard Foundation, The Magic Schoolbus, Teach for America, and the American Physical Society.
Internationally, she has worked with the Mexican Academy of Sciences, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and numerous major multinational corporations to initiate K-12 science education reform programs in the countries. Ms. Shuler has also worked extensively on a public health education project in Nigeria sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University and the Center for Development and Population Activities.
Ms. Shuler has a M.S. in Environmental Health Sciences from George Washington University, and a B.A. from Edinboro State University, with majors in Biology and Geology.
Steve Ricks serves as the state coordinator for the Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) at the Alabama State Department of Education. Since its inception in 1999, Steve has developed AMSTI, the state’s K-12 initiative to improve math and science, into one of the most comprehensive and successful programs in the nation. Currently AMSTI serves one-fourth of the students in Alabama and provides over 8,000 teachers with sustained professional development, plus all of the materials and equipment needed to teach math and science using inquiry-based, hands-on instruction. Plans are in place to expand AMSTI to serve every school in Alabama by 2011. Prior to leading AMSTI, Mr. Ricks worked with the Alabama State Department of Education providing school improvement assistance to underperforming schools.
Mr. Ricks has 30 years experience in education, serving as both a classroom teacher and an administrator. He has been honored through his induction into the Alabama Teacher Hall of Fame, selection as the Alabama Teacher of the Year, and awarding of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science. Currently he serves on the Board of Directors for the McWane Science Center, the South’s premier science center, aquarium and IMAX Theater.
Mr. Ricks received his Bachelor's and Master’s degrees from the University of Montevallo and his Education Specialist degree from Jacksonville State University.
Bill Walker is the Executive Director for the I-STEM (Indiana Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Resource Network. As Executive Director for the I-STEM Resource Network, Bill organizes and manages the creation of a statewide resource network for K-12 STEM education. I-STEM activities have included addressing professional developments needs for teachers of mathematics and science; facilitating the development of a webpage that will be a leading information source to students, parents, teachers, administrators, and higher education personnel in K-12 STEM education, and initiating a statewide network with regional lead institutions of higher education to facilitate regional and statewide improvement in K-12 STEM education. Bill is also the Director of Science K-12 Outreach at Purdue University, which creates professional development programs for teachers of science and mathematics. Prior to working with I-STEM, Bill taught high school and middle school mathematics for eight years.
As the Science Curriculum Specialist at the Indiana Department of Education Dr. Hicks is responsible for the development of Indiana’s Academic Standards for Science and the accompanying resources, and for promoting science education throughout Indiana. She has taught at the university and high school levels, and has teaching licenses in California (Life Sciences) and Indiana (Chemistry and Life Sciences). Prior to this she was a high school science teacher in California. She did postdoctoral research at Washington University in St. Louis in the Biology Department and her Ph.D. in Visual Sciences at Indiana University.
For more than 20 years, Bennett has served Indiana's school children and families as a teacher, coach and administrator, helping ensure Indiana’s students receive the first-class education they deserve.
After nine years in the classroom as a science teacher, Dr. Bennett began his career in administration, quickly developing a reputation as a gifted leader with a talent for school management, strategic planning and efficient budgeting.
Dr. Bennett received his Ed.D. and Indiana Superintendent's License from Spalding University. He earned his Certification in Secondary Administration and Supervision, a Master of Science in Secondary Education, and a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education from Indiana University Southeast.
On January 12th, 2009, Dr. Tony Bennett was sworn in as Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction and immediately began creating a Department of Education focused on student learning and implementing his vision that “the academic achievement and career preparation of all Indiana students will be the best in the United States and on par with the most competitive countries in the world.”
Bennett’s aggressive goals include creating and promoting a statewide culture of academic excellence in which at least 90 percent of students pass both Math and English/Language Arts sections of ISTEP+ and End-of-Course Assessments; 25 percent of all graduates receive a score of 3, 4 or 5 on at least one Advanced Placement exam, a 4 or higher on an International Baccalaureate exam, or receive the equivalent of 3 semester hours of college credit during their high school years; and 90 percent of students graduate from high school.
Mark Mow started his work as Superintendent in January 2002. Prior to that, he served as ECS' Assistant Superintendent for Business. As a native of Elkhart and an ECS' alumnus, Mow has spent more than 30 years working in education, as a science teacher, an assistant principal, a principal, and a district administrator.
Mow earned his undergraduate degree from Indiana University, his master's from Western Michigan University, and his Ed.S. in administration and supervision from Ball State University.
Dr. Cheryl Bell worked as an inclusive elementary teacher prior to her experiences as a university professor, professional development coordinator, and consultant to classroom teachers and school districts. She has presented at local, state, and national conferences on topics related to elementary science teaching and learning, efficacy for teaching science to diverse learners, and the integration of science and literacy in elementary and middle school classrooms. Cheryl’s area of expertise is in elementary science education, emphasizing an engaging inquiry-based approach utilizing the learning cycle and cooperative groupings to meet the needs of all children. She spent three summers in Changzhou China teaching English teachers pedagogical strategies and theories related to teaching English as a foreigh language. Cheryl currently works as an independent consultant, providing professional development for classroom teachers in Indiana and Illinois.
Chris joined the 1st Source Board of Directors in 1972, became an officer in 1976, was named president and chief executive officer of 1st Source Bank in 1977, named president and CEO of 1st Source Corporation in 1979, and added the chairman’s title in 1998.
He serves or has served on many public and private boards around the South Bend area and in the state of Indiana. They include Comair Holdings, Inc.; Quality Dining, Inc.; Titan Holdings, Inc.; The Association of Publicly Traded Companies (past chairman); National Association of Securities Dealers Corporate Advisory Board; South Bend – Mishawaka Area Chamber of Commerce; Indiana State Chamber of Commerce; Regional Approach to Progress (chairman); The Medical Education Foundation (chairman); Memorial Health Systems (past chairman); University of Chicago Health Systems; Indiana Board of Depositories; Indiana Natural Resources Foundation; Indiana Bankers Association; World Presidents Organization (past chairman and CEO); Indiana Commission for Higher Education (chairman): University of Virginia Law School Business Advisory Board; University of Notre Dame Advisory Council of the College of Arts and Letters; and the American Bar Association.