RET '02 Participant List

Teachers

INFORMATION FOR PARTICIPANTS

HOW TO APPLY
Information for applicants

HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION
Information for principals

1. Prepare and submit a letter of recommendation.

ANSWERS
to your RET QUESTIONS

Mary Sangrey
NHB MRC 166, Room W411
PO Box 37012
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, D.C. 20023-7012
U.S.A

- OR -

Mary Sangrey
National Museum of Natural History
10th Street & Constitution Avenue, NW
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC 20560-0166
U.S.A

Research & Collections

NMNH

Smithsonian

Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of Natural History

Research Experiences for Teachers
Listing of Teachers Selected to Participate
2002

1 July 2002 - 2 August 2002

A total of 7 teachers are anticipated to participate in the '02 session of the Research Experiences for Teachers Program.

We sincerely wish we could give all teachers a chance to participate in the natural history research activities at the Smithsonian.

However; as a program dedicated to providing quality research experiences for students and teachers selected to participate in our summer activities; time, funding, and space limit the number of positions available.

A total of 38 applications were received for placement in the summer 2002 program. All were considered carefully.

Letters of status were mailed, and e-mails sent, to all applicants on Tuesday, 2 April 2002. We thank all applicants for considering our program.

Following is the list of teachers selected to participate in the '02 Research Experiences for Teachers initiative at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

Teachers selected to join the RET Class of '02 should notify the RTP office by 12 April 2002 if they accept or decline participation in the summer program. The official notification form has been mailed (and e-mailed) to all selectees and must be completed and returned to Mary Sangrey to confirm placement.

Should additional positions become available, or selectees decline, placement of alternates in open positions will begin Monday, 15 April 2002.

Through April and May the RET summer curriculum will take shape and updates posted on the web at "Schedule of Events" along with additional information, "Participant Information," for teachers joining the RET Class of '02.

DATES & REQUIREMENTS

DURATION: 5 weeks

DATES: 1 July 2002 to 2 August 2002: In-session
27 & 28 May 2002: Registration and Orientation

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 26 March 2002

POSITIONS AVAILABLE: 7 positions.

REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants must be currently employed middle school or high school teachers returning next year to a classroom setting as a full-time teacher.
Applicants selected to join the Smithsonian program must commit to participation in the full 5 week program.

AWARD PACKAGE: Although contingent upon securing funding to support the initiative, we are following the JHU model and therefore anticipate providing teachers selected to participate in the program a stipend of $200 per day covering the 28 days of the session - totaling $5,600.

Last Name	First Name	School	Years Teaching	Subjects	RET Research Advisor
Bharat	Navarro	Anacostia Senior High School	25 years	Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Science	Brian Huber
Gentry	Rebecca	Herndon High School	2 years	Earth Science, Physics	Mike Wise
Hammond	John	Anacostia Senior High School	4 years	Mathematics	Dick Thorington
John	Kathie	Alice Deal Junior High School	14 years	Algebra, General Science	John Brown
Mauke	Alla	Baltimore Polytechnic Institute	2 years	Biology	Carole Baldwin
Stewart	Donna	Baltimore County Schools	5 years	Biology, Environmental Science	Eric Hollinger
Umelo	Anthony	Anacostia Senior High School	20 years	Chemistry, Biology, Physics	Carla Dove

Mr. Bharat earned his B.S. degree in Biology from DC Teachers College in Washington, DC; M.S. degree in Biology from Howard University; and Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Maryland at College Park. He has been a science teacher at Anacostia Senior High School since 1974 where he teaches Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. He has been the chairperson of the Science Department at Anacostia Senior High School for the past 12 years and Senior Class Advisor for classes '91, '98' and '99. He has served on the Middle States Evaluation Committee in Columbia, MD at Hammond High School (1991) and as science chairperson for the Middle States Evaluation Committee at Ballou Senior High School (2000). Mr. Bharat is a member of the National Science Teachers Association, DC Science Teachers Association, and the National Association of Biology Teachers. He received a fellowship in 1993 and 1994 to join the National Institutes of Health Summer Teachers Research Program. He is the recipient of the Metropolitan Area of Black Scientist Award as Outstanding Teacher of the year (1998).

Project Title: Depth Ecology of Late Cretaceous Planktonic Foraminifer Species of Heterohelix

Project Description: Oxygen and stable isotopic analyses of several species of the biserial planktonic foraminifer genus Heterohelix yield contradictory results with regard to inferences on its depth habitat in the Late Cretaceous ocean.

In some cases species of this genus yield some of the most negative oxygen isotope values and most positive carbon isotope values relative to co-occurring planktonic foraminifer species, suggesting that it lived in the upper surface mixed layer, but the stable isotopic signatures are switched at other intervals or at other localities, suggesting that they lived at deeper levels.

The goal of this project is to investigate temporal and geographic variation in stable isotopic signatures of species of Heterohelix relative to co-occurring planktonic foraminifer species to determine (1) if there are discernible stratigraphic or geographic patterns in these apparent depth habitat shifts and (2) if these patterns can be related to paleoceanographic and/or paleoclimate changes.

The resulting data will also contribute to an understanding of the taxonomic relationships between these numerically abundant and geographically ubiquitous microscopic fossils.

Ms. Gentry earned her B.A. in Environmental Sciences from the University of Virginia and M.A. in Math and Science Education from Virginia Tech University. She has also taken graduate level courses in Geology at the University of Montana. She is currently teaching 10th, 11th and 12th grade Earth Science and Active Physics at Herndon High School as part of the Fairfax County Public School system. She served as an intern with the United States Geological Survey (1998) including conducting field investigations in northern Maine, and has also been a Field Geologist with Rocky Mountain Geo-Engineering in Grand Junction, Colorado (1997).

Project Description: NYF-type pegmatites are characterized by an overall geochemical affinity for niobium, yttrium, and fluorine, as well as titanium, zirconium, uranium, and rare-earth elements. In the past, the mineralogy of NYF pegmatites was considered to be mundane, yet upon closer investigation, they appear to be more diverse than previously thought. The varied mineralogy within any single NYF-type pegmatite can be used to provide clues to the geochemical evolution of the pegmatite during its crystallization.

The objective of this project is to examine a suite of minerals from NYF-type pegmatites, determine their relative timing of crystallization and establish the chemical changes which took place during pegmatite genesis.

Mr. Hammond earned his BS degree in Computer Technology and Mathematics from Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio and his Masters of Education, Secondary Teaching and Curriculum Development from Howard University in Washington, DC. He has been employed as a Mathematics teacher at Anacostia Senior High School since 1989, teaching Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II, Trigonometry, and Statistical Methodology. He is a Certified Instructor in the Scholastic Achievement Test Preparation Program (SAT PREP) and the Senior Class Advisor for the '01 and '02 classes. He previously taught Mathematics at Surrattsville Senior High School (1995 - 1998) as part of the Prince George's County Public School system. He is a member of the National Mathematics Association, the National Educators of America, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He has been awarded the Who's Who of Teachers in America, Who's Who of College Students in America, and was recently selected to be one of the Technology Leaders for DC Public Schools.

Project Title: Speciation (?) among the tricolored squirrels of Southeast Asia.

Project Description: In Southeast Asia, there are three large islands (Borneo, Sumatra, and Java), a large number of smaller islands, and the long Malaysian Peninsula. These all lie on the Sunda shelf and were connected by dry land when sea level was low. When sea level rose with the melting of the glaciers, the mammals living on the Sunda shelf became isolated from one another on the different islands. One such species is the tricolored squirrel, Callosciurus prevostii. It is now considered to be a single species, but it exhibits dramatic geographic variation in body size, coat pattern, and coat colors. Deforestation on the Sunda shelf threatens a number of populations of this beautiful tree squirrel. In fact, some populations are probably already extinct. If current taxonomy conceals several species under a single name, it is important to reveal this and determine if the species are threatened with extinction.

This project will initiate an examination of this problem, focusing on four hypotheses. 1. There is only one species of tricolored squirrel, Callosciurus prevostii. 2. There are several species in this complex. 3. Geographic patterns of coat color provide clues to the genetic differences between populations. 4. Cranial morphological differences parallel differences in coat color and pattern and suggest that inter-population differences exceed those expected in a single species.

The study will be based on the extraordinary collections made by Dr. Abbott in the early 1900s. We will examine the skins of Callosciurus prevostii, the literature on tricolored squirrels, and the literature on island biogeography, and then we will select populations for study. We will compare the skulls, using external measurements, x-rays, and possibly CT scans. The data will be analyzed using a variety of multivariate procedures.

Ms. John earned her BA in Mathematics and Chemistry from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts and is a Ph.D. candidate in Mathematics at American University. She has been a mathematics and Science teacher at Alice Deal Junior High School in Washington DC since 1988. She is a member of the Washington Teachers Union, American Association of University Women, and National Council of Teachers in Mathematics. In 1998 she won a Teacher Fellow Award from the American Association for University Women.

Project Title: Survey of baculum size and injury in the walrus (Odobenus rosmarus).

Project Description: Male walrus, like other members of the mammalian order Carnivora, possess a simple bony structure, known as the baculum, that provides support for the male organ during mating.

Two recent reports, coupled with popular anecdotal accounts, suggest that breakage and rehealing of the baculum may be relatively common in the walrus.

This project will survey the holdings of walrus skeletal material in the National Museum of Natural History to determine the number of injuries among the sample of baculae in the collection. All baculae will be measured (width and depth at 3 locations, length) to determine (a) whether a correlation exists between bacular size and male body size; (b) if certain sizes of baculae are more prone to breakage than others; (c) to determine whether breakage is limited to certain points of the baculum. Documenting the incidence of such injuries will provide the basis for understanding its cause.

Ms. Mauke earned an A.S. degree in Biology from Bergen Community College and B.S. degree in Biology from the University of Massachusetts. She is currently a science teacher, teaching Biology and Marine Biology at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute.

A single species of the blenniid shorefish genus Ophioblennius traditionally has been recognized throughout the tropical Atlantic. A recent molecular study (Muss et al., 2001) of Ophioblennius populations from the eastern Pacific and Atlantic suggests six Atlantic lineages characterized by genetic divergences equal or greater to those typically observed between species. Information from an anatomical study of specimens from localities analyzed in the molecular study will be combined with information from Springer's (1962) study of Ophioblennius to determine if genetic divergences discovered in the molecular study are correlated with morphological differences.

One or more new species may be identified; if so, speciation in Atlantic Ophioblennius will be compared with that of other Atlantic shorefish genera in which several species recently have been determined to be masquerading under a single name.

The ultimate goals of the study will be to provide a taxonomic revision of Atlantic Ophioblennius and to contribute information to a more long-term study of patterns of morphological divergence and speciation in tropical Atlantic and eastern Pacific shorefishes.

The project may include travel to the annual American Society of Ichthyologists and herpetologists meeting in Kansas City (July 3-8) where the teacher will be able to meet some of the scientists involved in the molecular study of Ophioblennius.

Ms. Stewart earned her B.S. degree in Zoology and Ph.D. degree in Physiology from Howard University. She has been with the Baltimore County Schools since 1998 teaching Biology, Environmental Science, and Human Physiology and has served as administrator of enrichment programs for minority youth.

Project Description: The Repatriation Office conducts research on archaeological, ethnological, and human physical collections in response to requests for repatriation by Native American tribes and Hawaiian organizations. The repatriation process involves multiple lines of inquiry requiring detailed inventories and descriptions of remains and cultural objects, archival research, and analyses of historical and archaeological evidence to assess cultural affiliation of the collections. The research uses multidisciplinary applied archaeological and anthropological approaches to contemporary issues involving museums and native peoples.

Special Skills and/or qualifications needed: Interest in Native American history, archaeology, or cultural anthropology. Good general computer, library, and interpersonal communication skills. Ability to utilize diverse analytical approaches in problem solving. Patience in completing detail oriented tasks.

Research Team: Eric Hollinger, William Billeck, Dorothy Lippert, Steven Ousley, Beth Eubanks, Betsy Bruemmer, and Laurie Burgess.

Mr. Umelo earned his B.S. degree from D.C. Teachers College; M.S. from George Washington University, and Ph.D. from American University. He has been a Science teacher at Anacostia Senior High School since 1982, teaching Chemistry, Physics, and Biology. He was awarded a fellowship in 2002 from the National Science Foundation/Howard University "Developing Teacher Leaders in Middle and High School Science" and has also received a fellowship from the National Institutes of Health for their Summer Teacher Research Program (1995, 1992, and 1991). He is the Editor of the Anacostia High School publication "Science News," and a member of the National Science Teachers Association, D.C. Science Teachers Association, and the National Association of Biology Teachers.

Project Title: A survey of the variation in microscopic feather characters of North American Gulls (Laridae) that are involved in birdstrikes.

Project Description:

Examine and describe the variation in microscopic feather characters of North American gulls (Laridae) to aid in the identification of unknown feather samples recovered from bird-aircraft collisions (birdstrikes).

The project may involve use of light microscopes, scanning electron microscopes and statistical software packages to quantify the micro-morphological differences in diagnostic feather characters among species of gulls.

The results of this study will aid researchers in the identification of fragmentary feather evidence recovered from damaging birdstrikes. Ultimately, species identification data is used by engineers, airfield managers, and pilots to avoid damaging birdstrikes and improve aviation safety.


	Highlights

Research Experiences for Teachers at the Smithsonian List of Teacher Participants 2002

Research Experiences for Teachers
at the Smithsonian
List of Teacher Participants
2002