People

CURRENT PERSONNEL

• Carolina Michel, Research Associate and PI, CREATEforSTEM Institute (June 2025-present). Bridging Indigenous and Western Science to Build New, Placed-Based Approaches to Informal STEM Learning
• Linnea Beckett, Program Manager, STEM Ed PaCER Research Coordination Network (April 2024-present).
• Emma Stolinas, PhD student, Earth & Environmental Sciences (October 2024-present).
• Matt Oney, PhD student, Earth & Environmental Sciences; Current Assistant Professor of Integrative Studies in General Science (June 2023-present).
• Andrea Saavedra, PhD student, Earth & Environmental Sciences; NSF Graduate Research Fellow (June 2021-present).
• Cheyenne Kleiner, PhD student, Earth & Environmental Sciences / Environmental Science & Policy dual major; ESPP Fellow (June 2021-present).
• Sophia Huss, PhD student, Earth & Environmental Sciences (June 2021-present)
• Emily Pasek, PhD student, Earth & Environmental Sciences / Environmental Science & Policy dual major; ESPP Fellow (June 2020-present).

ALUMNI

Laura Sumpter
Former Program Manager – STEM Ed PaCER Postdoctoral Research Fellows.

Dr. Salvador Huitzilopochtli (math education research), Dr. Lili Yan (learning science), STEM Ed PaCER Postdoctoral Research Fellows (Summer 2023-present).

Dr. Kehli Henry (medical anthropology), Dr. Kriya Velasco (critical studies), Co-Advised with A.E. Blalock, STEM Ed PaCER Postdoctoral Research Fellows (Summer 2023-present).

Dr. Patricia Jaimes
Former PhD Student – Dual major in Earth and Environmental Sciences and Environmental Science and Policy. Patricia is now a Student Success Coordinator at Michigan State University.

Dr. Caitlin Kirby
Former PhD Student – Dual major in Earth and Environmental Sciences and Environmental Science and Policy. Caitlin is now an Education Researcher, Grant Writer, and Project Manager for the Enhanced Digital Learning Initiative at Michigan State University.

Eleanor Rappolee
Former MS Student – Earth and Environmental Sciences. Eleanor is now a GIS Research Analyst with the Association of State Floodplain Managers, Inc. (ASFPM).

Dr. Scott Kalafatis
Former Postdoctoral Scholar – Michigan State University and College of Menominee Nation. Scott is now the Deputy University Director of the Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center.

Dr. Amanda Lorenz
Former PhD Student – Entomology with Cognitive Science Specialization. Amanda is now an Academic Specialist and Undergraduate Advisor in the Department of Entomology at Michigan State University.

Dr. Caitlin Callahan
Former Research Associate. Caitlin is now an Associate Professor at Grand Valley State University.

Onchira Chittasirinuwat, Visiting Scholar
Onchira was a PhD student at Mahtidol University, Thailand and worked as a Visiting Scholar from (10/2010-6/2011). We were sad to learn of her passing soon after she returned to Thailand.

Dr. Scott Clark
Former Research Associate. Scott is now Professor and Chair of the Geology and the Environmental Science Department at University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire.

Dr. Robert Drost
Former PhD Student – Geological Sciences with ESPP Specialization. Bob is now an Academic Specialist in the Center for Integrative Studies in General Science at Michigan State University.

Dr. Nicole LaDue
Former PhD Student – Geological Sciences with Cognitive Science Specialization. Nicole is now an Associate Professor at Northern Illinois University.

Dr. Carmen McCallum
Former Research Associate. Carmen is now an Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Education at Eastern Michigan University.

Dr. Suttida Rakkapoa
Former Visiting Scholar. Ta is now an Associate Professor at Department of Physics, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand.

Christy Steffke
Former MS Student – Geological Sciences. Christy works as a GIS Specialist at Veritas.

Dr. Sheldon Turner
Former PhD Student – Geological Sciences with ESPP Specialization. Sheldon is now a Professor and Chair of the Science Department at Triton College.

Dr. Emily Geraghty Ward
Former Research Associate. Emily is now Associate Scientist in the Education and Outreach Program at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences.

And – many thanks to the many undergraduate scholars who have worked in our lab over the years, including: Juan Martinez, Evan Morton, Aalayna Green, Benjamin Arnosti, Dan Bomzer, Zach Chacko, Jessica Crawford, Emma Giese, Laurissa Gulich, Sarah Jordan, Charlotte Lee, Jasmine Marahar, Nick Martin, Kelly Richardson, Gregory Ruetenik, Thomas Singer, Kyler Stanley