Professional Bio

I am currently a Ph.D. candidate in Education at the University of Pittsburgh and a Graduate Student Researcher for the University of Pittsburgh Center for Learning in Out of School Environments (UPCLOSE). My research interests include scientific observation, the effect of parents’ conversational strategies and knowledge on children’s observation of biological phenomena, 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 :: ISE PI Summit 2008
25 - 26 July 2008