The 2004 Frontiers in Physiology Research Teachers are:
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Charles Allen – Custer High School, Milwaukee, WI
Sandra Apolinar – Thomas Jefferson High School, San Antonio, TX
Felicia Benson – Osborn High School, Detroit, MI
Brendan Callahan – Dunedin High School, Dunedin, FL
David Craymer – Muskegon High School, Muskegon, MI
Suzanne Goedeken – Silver Lake High School, Roseland, NE
Dustin Graves – S.J. Davis Middle School, San Antonio, TX
Angelica Herron – West Ashley Intermediate School, Charleston, SC
Megan Hollingsworth – Fox Tech High School, San Antonio, TX
Martha S. Jimenez – John F. Kennedy High School, San Antonio, TX
Christine Karlberg – Orange County High School of the Arts, Santa Ana, CA
Jessica Kos – Cutler Ridge Middle School, Miami, FL
Kaci May – North Charleston Elementary, North Charleston, SC
Aurora Merry – Salem High School, Salem, NH
Amy Nichols – O'Conner High School, San Antonio, TX
Rachel Pearce – Arsenal Tech High School, Indianapolis, IN
Leone Rochelle – Ridge View High School, Columbia, SC
Betsy Scarborough – Crayton Middle School, Columbia, SC
Tammie Schrader – Cheney Middle School, Cheney, WA
Christopher Schrenk – Green Brook Middle School, Green Brook, NJ
Tonya Smith – Southeast Middle School, Hopkins, SC
Adrienne Tavelinsky – Dobbs Ferry High School, Dobbs Ferry, NY
Blondelle Tolliver – James Island Elementary School, Charleston, SC
William White – Arsenal Tech High School, Indianapolis, IN
Elizabeth Zdrojewski – West Allis Central High School, West Allis, WI
The goal of Frontiers in Physiology is to provide a laboratory research experience to middle- and high-school teachers. Through learning research techniques and following the scientific process from start to finish, the teachers (and subsequently their students) gain a greater understanding of science. Teachers also learn effective education strategies that help them translate their research experience into classroom labs.
"For many teachers this summer experience marks the first time they have ever participated in scientific research," stated Dr. Marsha Lakes Matyas, APS Education Officer. "It gives them a new perspective on their teaching and the importance of hands-on, inquiry-based learning, which they can carry back to their students," she added.
APS provides each of the 24 winning teachers with a fellowship of up to $8,500 including an expense-paid one-week summer research forum (July 25-August 1) where they explore new and innovative research and teaching techniques intended for application in the classroom. Teachers will also receive travel expenses to attend the 35th International Congress of Physiological Sciences and the Experimental Biology 2005 meeting, which attract nearly 12,000 scientists.
The Frontiers program began in 1990 with 10 high school science teachers who received fellowships for a 10-week summer research experience in a physiology laboratory. Since then, nearly 306 teachers and 191 APS members nationwide have participated in this expanding program. The program has consistently proven to help teachers increase their understanding of scientific research methods and the importance of biomedical research. It also has proven effective in helping teachers incorporate best teaching practices – those that promote both excellence and equity in science education – as recommended by the National Research Council's National Science Education Standards.
The Frontiers in Physiology Program is sponsored by APS, the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), the Science Education Partnership Awards (SEPA), and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at the National Institutes of Health.
Designed to improve science education by building connections between teachers and the research community, Frontiers in Physiology is one of several grant-supported programs that APS administers. For more information about APS Education Programs, email: education@the-aps.org or visit the APS website at http://www.the-aps.org/education.htm.
The American Physiological Society is a professional scientific membership organization devoted to fostering scientific research, education, and the dissemination of scientific information. The APS supports a variety of educational activities including programs and fellowships to encourage the development of young scientists at the undergraduate and graduate levels, with a particular focus on women and underrepresented minorities.
APS also supports refresher courses and teaching awards promoting continued excellence in education at the professional level. In May, 2004, APS won the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM).
Founded in 1887, the Society's membership includes more than 10,000 professionals in science and medicine.