People of the Program in Science Learning

Rebecca Jordan: Director, Program in Science Learning
Faculty, Ecology, Evolution, & Natural Resources
rcjordan@rci.rutgers.edu  Read about me

Kim Peterson: Coordinator, Teacher Education Program, Waller Hall, Room 206, 932-9164  kimp@rci.rutgers.edu  Read about me

Terry Reagan: Instructor, Youth Educator; Program Advisor  
reagan@rci.rutgers.edu  Read about me

Ravit Golan Duncan: Faculty, Graduate School of Education
rgduncan@rci.rutgers.edu

David Howe: Educational Technologist; Program Advisor
dvhowe@rci.rutgers.edu Read about me

Rebecca
Why I do what I do: Before I knew better, I announced to my first grade class that I wanted to be a dolphin when I grew up! I really become interested in science when I saw the “Voyage of the Mimi”, a PBS series about a boy (Ben Affleck) who travels on a boat learning about whales. As a Biology major/psychology minor, I was set to work with wild marine mammals until I found that I am extremely prone to sea sickness. From there I pursued learning in fish (yes they do learn!). While studying learning in fish is fun, learning in people is much more interesting!

Favorite teacher: Way too many to name! I loved classes where we were given the opportunity to explore. My favorite attribute of a teacher is someone who admits they are still learning. I really liked feeling a part of a team. Some of my favorite teachers: Mary Lohman (High school honors classes), Dorothy Miles (High school English), Janine Caira (College Evolution), Phil Dilorio (College Fish Biology), and Kurt Schwenk (College Vertebrate Zoology).

Teaching: I currently teach Environmental Education in the School Curriculum. My primary course objectives are for students to: Gain insight into the issues surrounding environmental education in both formal and informal learning environments. Develop ways to incorporate environmental education into K-Life learning. Discuss how to better teach and learn environmental literacy and life-long learning skills
Research: I have designed an interdisciplinary research program that seeks to understand the means by which we can quantitatively assess and predict patterns of behavior. More specifically, I address questions of the proximate cues that direct behavior. I work with several species of fish at one end of the spectrum and with humans on the other end. While the nature of the questions that I address differ depending on the subject (fish or humans), the methods I use are very similar and it is this similarity in approach that makes my research unique. With respect to fishes, my research focuses on behavior, sexual selection, and how habitat variation can affect the evolution of behavior. I am studying how visual factors guide mate choice and affect life history in a group of Lake Malawi cichlids. I am also interested in how variation in the light environment affects life history. With respect to humans, I am particularly interested in the link between learning and behavior. My goal is to identify the key predictors that affect learner outcome and ultimately behavioral change in environmental education and citizen science programs. As a scientist and educator, I feel it important to provide students and community members with the tools that enable scientific understanding and the active participation in the stewardship of natural resources. <top>

Kim
I love my job here at Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences because I love working with the students. It is such a rewarding experience when you can see a student grow right before your eyes. I have a good ear and I love to nurture and make people feel good about themselves. My knack to coordinate department, functions, meeting and programs so that everything runs smoothly is fun to me---I want the students and instructor to get everything they need!

Favorite teacher: I loved many of my teachers and loved to learn, but most of all I loved the social aspect of high school and my favorite part of the day was planning the festivities after school and on the weekends!  <top>

David
Why I do what I do: I like this planet. It’s full of neat living things, including people. I can’t help but share my excitement about the amazing products of evolution around us, and I want others to care about our world.

Favorite teacher: I am so thankful for the great teachers I have had. My favorite teachers are those that have caused me to want to learn more. So many of these. I guess Mrs. McCaughey at Blackhurst Elementary first lit my curiosity fuse. Charles Day and Linda Calvin at Urbandale High School. 

Teaching: I currently teach Limnology and Invertebrate Zoology, which is sort of a dream come true, really. <top>