Professional Bio

I recently completed a Ph.D. in Cognitive Studies in Education at the University of Pittsburgh and my work as a Graduate Student Researcher for the University of Pittsburgh Center for Learning in Out of School Environments (UPCLOSE). I am currently have a postdoctoral research position at Rutgers University Graduate School of Education. My research interests include learning trajectories associated with scientific observation, the effect of family learning processes on children’s observation of biological phenomena in informal and everyday learning environments, and the effect of authentic and representational objects on scientific explanations and reasoning.


I also hold an M.S. degree in Public Horticulture Administration from University of Delaware. My leadership expertise includes planning, building, and evaluating children’s science education landscapes, exhibitions, and programs. I planned and designed the first interactive children’s garden for play in public gardens and planned the national Urban Children, Science, and Nature Conference. As former Director of Exhibitions at The New York Botanical Garden, I was PI/PD for the Children’s Adventure Project (NSF # 9353545) and for two major awards from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. As the originating PI/PD for My Place By the Bay (NSF # 0125740), I directed exhibition design and installation, family programming, early childhood research, and project evaluation.

Expertise & Interest Descriptors

informal learning research, family learning, discourse analysis, professional development within the field of informal science education, public participation in science, design of urban learning landscapes, botanical gardens

Planned Conference Participation

Attending :: ASTC Annual Conference 2008
October 18-21, 2008

Attending :: Building Capacity and Collaboration at the Intersection of the Learning Sciences and Informal Science Education
August 6- 7, 2009

Attending :: Intersection Discussion: Facilitating Learning - What do we know that works?
February 22-26, 2010

Attending :: 2010 NARST Annual Conference
March 21-24, 2010

Attending :: AERA Annual Meeting
April 30 - May 4, 2010