M.Ed. Northern Arizona University
Ph.D. Arizona State University
Dr. Ellen J. Yezierski (Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction/Chemistry Education, Arizona State University) is a Professor of Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence at Miami University. Her research group focuses on improving conceptual understanding of chemistry by examining the dynamics of teaching and teacher change. The goal of their work is to markedly reform instruction and improve chemistry learning across a variety of grade levels (high school and college). Projects employ quasi-experimental designs as well as phenomenological methods to explore teacher beliefs and change, evaluating chemistry representations in inquiry classrooms, assessment, use of animations, and characterizing teaching and learning in chemistry outreach. Dr. Yezierski is also the co-developer of the NSF funded Target Inquiry Professional Development Program and a former high school chemistry teacher.
Dr. Roy Tasker has a Ph.D. in synthetic inorganic chemistry from Otago University, NZ, and is currently a Professor of Chemistry at Western Sydney University. He still supervises three graduate students from his time at Purdue University (2015 – 2018), co-authors the third edition of Chemistry: Human Activity and Chemical Reactivity, and is active in research on exploring the potential of immersive virtual reality learning environments for learning molecular-level chemistry.
His main focus is the development of learning designs for specific chemistry concepts, using the integrated suite of VisChem molecular-level animations and simulations, and informed by research in the cognitive challenges of multimedia learning (the VisChem Learning Approach).
In 2011 he received the Prime Minister’s Award for Australian University Teacher of the Year, and in 2014 – 2015 was seconded from university duties to conduct national workshops on the use of visualisation in tertiary science teaching in his Australian National Senior Teaching Fellowship (ScienceVis.com.au).
Heather earned her B.A.S. from Miami University and has over 20 years experience working with grant-funded projects at the university. As project coordinator/web designer and manager, Heather builds and maintains recruitment/project web sites, coordinates teacher travel, manages on site teacher accommodations, correspondence, scheduling, program promotion, reporting, tracking funds, purchasing, and issuing checks.
KatieMarie Magnone (M.S. in Chemistry, M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from University of California) is a doctoral student in the Yezierski Research Group at Miami University. KatieMarie has prior research experience in producing transition metal dichalcogenide semiconductor materials and has teaching experience in Chemistry and Physics.
Matthew Wu (Ph.D. in Chemistry, Purdue University) is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Yezierski Research Group at Miami University. Matthew has prior teaching and research experience with pre-service elementary teachers, specifically with regards to intertextuality and modeling. For his master’s program at University of California: San Diego, he explored student reasoning with visual representations of voltaic cells. Currently, his research interests are situated in identity work, instructors’ professional development, and drawing interconnections between the theories of good video game design and chemistry curriculum.
Jenn Ebert (M.S. in Multidisciplinary Studies of Biochemical Sciences, SUNY College at Buffalo State) is a graduate student with the Yezierski Research Group at Miami University. She has prior research experience in various chemistry fields, including organometallic synthesis, biophysics, and bioorganic laboratories. Jenn also has teaching experience in general, organic, and biochemistry and helped develop a working teacher's manual for a general chemistry course.
