Earth Expeditions Faculty

Chris Myers

...received his Ph.D. in ecology from Vanderbilt University and is now a professor of Zoology and Interdisciplinary Studies at Miami University. His research areas include community-based conservation, participatory science, and national education reform. Chris is the founding Director of Project Dragonfly and served as Editor-in-Chief of Dragonfly magazine--the first national magazine to feature the investigations of children. Project Dragonfly has reached millions of children through award-winning print media, teacher programs, and the Emmy-Award winning national PBS children’s television series, DragonflyTV. He has written more than 60 professional articles and has directed projects funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Organization for Tropical Studies, and other agencies. Chris directs Earth Expeditions and the Global Field Program, served as a Fulbright Scholar in Thailand, and taught environmental education at Yale University.

Thane Maynard

... is Chief Executive Officer of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. Thane is best known as a writer and host of numerous wildlife programs, including the daily public radio series The 90-Second Naturalist, which airs on stations across North America. He has been featured on Good Morning America, Today, and CBS This Morning, has been a regular wildlife expert on Late Night With Conan O'Brien, and has authored 13 books on wildlife. From his youth exploring the swamps of central Florida, Thane went on to earn his M. S. degree from the University of Michigan and is a graduate of the Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management program at the Harvard Business School, as well as the first National Education Leadership Institute sponsored by World Wildlife Fund and Disney.

Laurie Marker

... is Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) based in Namibia, Africa. Having worked with cheetahs since 1974, Laurie set up the not-for profit CCF in 1990 and moved to Namibia to develop a permanent conservation research center for the wild cheetah. In 1988, in collaboration with these two institutions she became the Executive Director of the Center for New Opportunities in Animal Health Sciences, based at the Smithsonian Institution's National Zoo. She continues to serve as a NOAHS Research Fellow. In 1996 she was made a vice-chair of the World Conservation Union's (IUCN) Species Survival Commission's (SSC) Cat Specialist Group. In 2000 Laurie was recognized as one of Time magazine's Heroes for the Planet and given the Burrow's Conservation Award from Cincinnati, Ohio. In 2001 Laurie was locally honored in Namibia, receiving the Paul Harris Fellowship from the Windhoek Rotary Club. And in 2002 she received a special award from the Sanveld Conservancy, signifying public acknowledgement of Laurie and CCF's contributions from Namibia's farming community.

David Western

... is chairman of the African Conservation Centre. A Kenya citizen, he was raised and educated in Tanzania, obtained a B.Sc. (Hons.) from Leicester University and a Ph.D. from the University of Nairobi. He began research into the savannas at Amboseli in 1967, looking at the interactions of humans and wildlife aimed at developing conservation policies applicable at an ecosystem scale. His work in Amboseli has continued unbroken since then, serving as a barometer of changes in the savannas and a tested of new conservation solutions. He has a particular interest in pastoralism and community participation in conservation. Western has been active in many areas of conservation, including field research, community-based conservation, international programs, ecotourism, conservation planning, directing government and non-government agencies, training, creation of conservation institutions and public education. He directed Wildlife Conservation Society programs in East Africa for many years. He established the Wildlife Planning Unit in Kenya in 1978, was the chairman of the African Elephant and Rhino Specialist Group in the 1980s, was founding president of The International Ecotourism Society, chairman of the Wildlife Clubs of Kenya, director of Wildlife Conservation Society (International), director of Kenya Wildlife Service and founder of the African Conservation Centre in Nairobi. He is an adjunct professor in Biology at the University of California, San Diego and the University of Minnesota. Western’s publications include Conservation for the Twenty-first Century (OUP, 1989), Natural Connections: Perspectives in Community-based Conservation (Island Press, 1994) and In the Dust of Kilimanjaro (Shearwater, 1997).

Lynne Born Myers

... is a founder and co-Director of Project Dragonfly, where she oversees national exhibits, participatory media, and learning programs. She served as the founding editor for Dragonfly magazine and now leads the development of national exhibits for Wild Research and Saving Species. These two NSF-funded projects are designed to engage millions of families at zoos, aquariums, and other public learning institutions throughout the U.S.

Lynne also writes fiction and nonfiction books for children with her husband, Chris, including McCrephy's Field (Houghton Mifflin), Forest of the Clouded Leopard (Houghton Mifflin), and Galapagos: Islands of Change (Hyperion).

Lynne received her B. Phil. from the School of Interdisciplinary Studies at Miami University. She has developed conservation partnerships in many countries for Earth Expeditions, and works on a variety of research and education projects addressing human relationships with nature.

David Jenike

... is Chief Operating Officer at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. David has a magical way of involving his students, youngsters, and adults in his program presentations and interpretations of the natural world. David received his B. S. degree in Zoology and his M. S. degree in Environmental Education from Miami University. David completed the Environmental Institutional Management Course at Delaware University. He is the Education Liaison to the AZA’s Rhino Taxon Advisory Group. The Institute of Environmental Sciences at Miami presented David with an Award of Distinction in 1996. David is a Professional Fellow with the American Zoo & Aquarium Association. David grew up in Cincinnati as a member of a family of educators. He and his brother Mark wrote and photographed the children's book, Ituri – A Walk through the Rainforest, which chronicles the wildlife and people of the Ituri Forest.

Bernadette Plair

... is the Neo tropical Conservation Program Manager at the Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) at the Cincinnati Zoo. A native of Trinidad, Bernadette is also Director of the Center for the Rescue of Endangered Species of Trinidad and Tobago (CRESTT). Bernadette earned her B. s. degree in Biology at the College of Mount Saint Joseph and her M. s. degree from the University of Cincinnati. Bernadette has devoted her life to the conservation of Trinidad’s wildlife resources, including the reintroduction of the blue-and-gold macaw to the Nariva Swamp in Trinidad. She worked with the zoo’s education department to set up an education program at the Emperor Valley Zoo in Trinidad. She has developed community-based behavioral monitoring programs for reintroduced macaws and conservation education programs in community schools bordering Nariva Swamp.

Hays Cummins

... is a professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies at Miami University. Hays is a founding Co-Director of Project Dragonfly and served as the science editor for Dragonfly magazine. Hays received his Ph.D. in oceanography from Texas A&M University and has led international courses for years to the Bahamas and the Florida Keys, Curacao Island, and Costa Rica. His research focuses on the reconstruction of past ecological communities in marine systems and understanding ecological change. He also has a passion for weather and astronomy. Hays has authored many research papers and popular articles focusing on science and science education.

Dan Marsh

... is the Director of Education at the Cincinnati Zoo, where he manages the departments’ educational programs for the general public and schools. Dan received his B. A. in Biology from the University of Louisville and an M. Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Cincinnati. He spent a year in Japan on an academic scholarship, which sparked his interest in international travel. He has escorted trips for the zoo to Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Peru, and the Galapagos Islands, in addition to traveling extensively on his own. Dan is a Professional Fellow with the American Zoo and Aquarium Association and is an education liaison to the Felid Taxon Advisory Group. He is also a member of the National Association for Interpretation and the Environmental Education Council of Ohio. Dan grew up near Louisville, Kentucky, where his parents allowed him the freedom to roam and develop his interest in wildlife and conservation.

Jamie Bercaw Anzano

... is Director of Communications and Research at Project Dragonfly at Miami University, where she instructs international and web-based graduate courses and serves as a graduate advisor. When Dragonfly began more than 15 years ago, Jamie served as an editor for Dragonfly children's magazine. She has since worked on a number of Dragonfly initiatives to implement inquiry-driven reform in formal and informal learning environments. Prior to her work at Dragonfly, Jamie wrote hundreds of articles as a newspaper reporter and magazine writer. She has a bachelor's degree from Southern Methodist University in journalism and a master's in environmental science with concentration in environmental education from Miami University's Institute of Environmental Sciences. Her interests lie within the intersection of theory and practice and in helping educators and other professionals explore ways to use inquiry to improve human and ecological communities. Jamie has explored many countries throughout the world, but she particularly enjoys rediscovering her backyard with her two young sons.

Jill Korach

...is a team member at Project Dragonfly at Miami University where she serves as the Assistant Director of Earth Expeditions’ Field Expeditions Program and instructs several of international courses.  She is also the Program Manager for the Wild Research Program (a 3-year NSF grant focused on incorporating inquiry components into exhibits on Zoo grounds).  Jill earned an undergraduate degree in biology from Washington University where she focused on tropical rainforest ecology. She earned a Master’s from Miami University's Institute of Environmental Sciences concentrating in conservation biology. Jill also worked for an active travel company leading trips exploring coastal Maine and the Grand Canyon. Her interests lie in ethnobotany as she strives to bring focus to the dependence and interconnectedness of people and plants as a way to re-connect us to our environment. Jill accredits her love of the natural world and global perspective to her extensive local and international experiences – and to getting a chance to climb trees as a child.

Kevin Matteson

... is the Assistant Director of Masters Programs for Project Dragonfly at Miami University. Since 2002, Kevin has researched ecology, pollinator conservation, and entomology in heavily developed urban landscapes in both Chicago and New York City. For his doctoral research, conducted at Fordham University, Kevin utilized high-resolution GIS datasets to evaluate landscape factors influencing the diversity of bees and butterflies in community gardens of East Harlem and the Bronx. In addition to teaching at the undergraduate- and graduate-level, Kevin has served as an educator in a variety non-traditional settings including bilingual art-based science education in the Bronx and student-led programming while at the Bronx Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Society. Kevin has also engaged in scientific outreach through work as a scientific consultant and blogger for an urban citizen science program (www.greatpollinatorproject.org) and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Urban Ecosystems Ecology section (www.esa.org/urbanecosystem/) of the Ecological Society of America. He currently resides in Yellow Springs, Ohio with his wife and two young children.

José I. Pareja

... was brought up in Peru where he developed a passion for learning about science, the environment, and technology; teaching about science and technology; and traveling to remote and exotic places like the Amazon Rainforest and the seldom visited Andean forests. José earned his B.S. degree in Biology and a Post Graduate Certificate in Environmental Quality Management from UNALM in Peru. He then moved to the US and completed his M.S. in Ecology, and Ph.D. in Science Education from the University of Missouri. José used to work as a high school science teacher in Peru. This path led him into what he believes is one of the most humble and rewarding experiences he’s had ‘serving and guiding people towards accomplishing their personal and professional goals’. His interests lie in the intersection of life science, technology, science education, and sharing experiences through international collaborations. [Home]

Sharon Matola

... is a wild woman. Never, ever taking no for an answer, she has built the Belize Zoo & Tropical Education Center into one of the world’s most effective zoos and conservation organizations. Starting with 20 captive animals left behind more than twenty years ago by a natural history film crew, Sharon has dedicated her life’s work to engaging the Belizean people with their wildlife. First with education programs in schools throughout the country, and later by establishing the zoo, Sharon has shared her love and the need for wildlife and wild areas. From its humble beginnings, and against all odds, Sharon charmed, cajoled, and worked until the Belize Zoo finally opened its gates at its new home in 1991. Today’s Belize Zoo employs a staff of 25, all Belizeans. It is a conservation and education center run by and for Belizeans.

Celso Poót

Celso Poót started working with the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center in 1994. From 1997 to 1999, he worked in the Ministry of Agriculture’s Vampire Bat Education, Control and Research Program and with the Forest Planning and Management Project. However, because of his passion for the environment and his drive to educate younger generations about the country’s ecology and wildlife conservation, he returned to the Belize Zoo and has been heading the Education Department ever since. Celso is responsible for both onsite and outreach school programs and works with more than 15,000 school children and teachers each academic year. Celso also coordinates foreign school groups offering ecological field courses in Belize. His various jobs have allowed him to travel the entire country and provides a stimulus to continue his work with the Belizean environment.

Matti Nghikembua

... is the Senior Research Assistant and Education Officer of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) where he assists with ongoing ecological research and the bush encroachment program. Matti is responsible for training student interns from Namibian universities and coordinates environmental education and outreach programs at CCF. Matti has seven years' experience in field surveys, conducting interviews, baseline vegetation surveys, and holds a National Diploma in Natural Resource Management. In 2006, Matti was named a Conservation Hero by the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund for his outstanding commitment to environmental education in Namibia and the important contributions he has made researching cheetahs and their habitats. To top it all off, Matti is fluent in five Namibian languages, and is a joy to work with and know.

Jan Dietrich

… has been with the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden since 1979 when her family moved to Cincinnati from Bryan, Texas. Jan received her Bachelor of Arts from Wittenberg University and her Master’s of Education from the University of Florida. She’s taught school in Florida, Ohio, and Texas. Jan volunteered at the Zoo until she found her niche in the Education Department where she has been on staff since 1984. As School Services Coordinator and Animal Handling Instructor, Jan is able to combine the two things she enjoys most – working with children and introducing them to the animals that share Planet Earth. Jan is a certified trainer with the National Association of Interpretation and has been able to travel to such interesting places as Canada, Europe, Africa, and Central and South America.  Jan and her husband live in West Chester, Ohio, but spend as much time as possible in Maryland with their two young grandsons.

Bariushaa Munkhtsog

... Dr. Bariushaa Munkhtsog has been working with snow leopards since 1993 and was active in the reintroduction of Przewalski's horse at Hustain Nuruu National Park, Mongolia. He currently serves as senior wildlife biologist at Institute of Biology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Board director of Irbis (snow leopard in Mongolian) Mongolian Center, Board director of Gobi bear conservation NGO, and is co-founder of the Pallas' Cat Conservation Project in Mongolia, started in June 2000. Dr. Munkhtsog also teaches biology and ecology at colleges and has supervised Bachelor's, Master's and PhD’s students on snow leopard, Pallas' cat, wild cat, and wild camel ecology and is a member of IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group and Snow Leopard Network.

Caitlin Reynolds

... is the Wild Research Project Coordinator at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, where she works on a National Science Foundation grant focused on creating more engaging environments at zoo exhibits. Here, Caitlin is excited to create spaces where families learn together, exploring science and conservation, and moving from passive spectators to active investigators. Caitlin also has a passion for the outdoors. Working at Joy Outdoor Education Center in Clarksville Ohio, Caitlin held several education positions. With 315 acres of natural classroom to explore, she taught natural history classes, led high and low ropes courses, facilitated corporate team-building exercises, and even portrayed characters in an outdoor living history experience focused on the Underground Railroad. Helping people 'jump' out of their comfort zone (sometimes literally) while sharing excitement for the natural world with children and adults alike was her favorite aspect of experiential education. With a background in video and film production, Caitlin also teaches dance, specializing in the Lindy Hop. She enjoys hiking, biking, reading, climbing, searching for salamanders, and spending time with her family, especially her 10 nieces and nephews.

Samantha Russell

... is a doctoral candidate in Conservation Ecology. Closely affiliated with the African Conservation Centre, she lives and works in the South Rift Valley in Kenya where her work involves establishing a practical ecological monitoring program for the Magadi region. Alongside this she is helping the local Maasai community to establish community-based research for conservation. This involves helping to establish a South Rift Resource Centre and train local community youths in resource assessment and data collection. Having been born and raised in Kenya, Samantha has always held a passion for wildlife and as she grew up developed a keen interest in working with the people who live alongside it, and has worked with Dr. David Western on learning about the relationship between wildlife and people since she graduated from Bristol University in 2002 with an undergraduate degree in Zoology and Psychology. She has also been involved with Dr Western in conducting the first major audit of Kenya’s wildlife and presented this information at a recent Wildlife Policy Review workshop.

Glen Schulte

... has been a high school science teacher since he graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1986. He has been teaching at the Zoo Academy since 1996, an incredible program where juniors and seniors take intense college preparatory classes and spend 2 hours every day working with the keepers at the Zoo. He received a Masters in Science Teaching from Miami University in 1996 and promptly started teaching in the MAT program. Glen was a student, then an instructor the following year on the Costa Rica expedition.

Reema Persad-Clem

... Reema is currently part of the Biological Sciences faculty team at Salisbury University. She is a Trinidadian ecologist who earned her MS degree from the University of Arkansas and her PhD from Miami University. As a primatologist, Reema has worked with monkeys, prosimians and apes under captive, naturalistic and wild conditions. Her main research interests lie in studying the behavioral ecology of primates in a tropical setting, particularly in the same rainforests that she explored as a child. Reema believes that we are all environmental stewards and can each contribute to the preservation of biological diversity, sustainability of resources, and maintenance of healthy ecosystems. She believes that environmental education efforts and grassroots programs are especially critical to encouraging the understanding of the importance of the earth's treasures and preserving these wonders for future generations.

Sorrayut Ratanapojnard (Asia)

... Dr. Sorrayut received his PhD in Environmental Education from the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Yale University. He is a professor at Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand. He has ordained as a Buddhist monk and was the director of Thailand's Project Local Science and the Spiritual Health Program. He writes weekly newspaper columns on spirituality and health.

Kevin Andrewin

... Born and raised in Belize, Kevin has known manatees all of his life. He grew up watching manatee outside of his home, Gales Point Manatee, which was named after the marine mammal. Kevin works for Wildlife Trust, where he splits his time between researching tracked manatees and finding creative ways to protect sea turtle nests from predation. To keep coastal Belizeans informed of manatee research tracking, Kevin visits fishing villages all along the coast of Belize to explain the manatee tracking process, what transmitters looks like, and how they operate. Kevin is the youngest member of his village council and an active voice for manatee conservation in his village. He is also the chairman of the Gales Point Manatee Tour Guides Cooperative.

Shasta Bray

...is the Interpretive Media Manager at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. She is dedicated to making a positive impact on the natural world and strongly believes that fostering a connection between people and nature is crucial. Shasta received a B. s. in Zoology from Southern Illinois University and an M. s. in Zoology from Miami University, where she also worked with Project Dragonfly. She joined the zoo in 1999 as the Coordinator of the Nocturnal Adventures overnight program, moving on to coordinate the zoo's urban initiative program, EdZoocation. She currently works on curriculum development, interpretive exhibits, and writing projects.

Kate Aug

...is the Program Coordinator for the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's Nocturnal Adventures Program. She manages overnight programs for the general public and schools and teaches as an adjunct instructor for Miami University's Earth Expeditions. Kate received her B. a. in Education with an emphasis in experiential education from Prescott College in Arizona. She has escorted trips for the Zoo to Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Trinidad, and Belize in addition to traveling and studying extensively on her own. Kate came to the Zoo from a background that focused on environmental and experiential education. She draws on this reservoir of knowledge daily while teaching, writing curriculum, traveling and hiring/supervising Zoo employees. Kate feels fortunate that her experience allows her to stay committed to the Cincinnati Zoo's overall mission, Adventure, Conservation and Education.
"Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living."
–- Miriam Beard

Katie Remine

…works as the School and Community Engagement Supervisor in the Education Department at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, where she has been employed since 1997.  She develops and presents conservation education for educators of K-12th grades, supervises on-site and outreach school programs, and facilitates programs that engage community members in conservation actions. Katie is a huge believer in the potential of international experiential learning to foster a sustainable global community! She spent a year in Iceland as an exchange student, and then received a BA in Biology and a minor in African Studies from Colorado College (with two semesters of study abroad in east and southern Africa). She recently completed her MSc degree in Biodiversity Conservation and Management through Imperial College London. Although she’s an avid traveler, Katie’s heart lies in the gorgeous mountains, forests and waterways of the Pacific Northwest!

Stephanie Stowell

…is a conservation education consultant and team member at Project Dragonfly at Miami University. She instructs online courses for the Global Field and Advanced Inquiry Programs as well as several of the international Earth Expeditions courses. Stephanie has been working with formal and informal educators for more than fifteen years helping them to develop, implement and evaluate strategies to increase use of the environment and conservation as an integrating context across disciplines. Stephanie worked for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) for nine years overseeing their national Schoolyard Habitats Program and serving as the Senior Director for Field Education Programs. In her roles with NWF she oversaw curriculum development, teacher training programs, community-based volunteer conservation initiatives and program evaluation. Most recently, Stephanie served as the Director of Education at Woodland Park Zoo where she directed and evaluated the development and implementation of educational programs for children and adults, schools and communities that inspired them to care for and protect the natural world. Stephanie earned her Master's in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Montana concentrating in conservation education. Travel and immersion in other cultures through exploration of the natural world has always been a priority in Stephanie's life and she is thrilled to connect these professional and personal pursuits through the Global Field Program and Earth Expeditions.

Marc Ancrenaz

…is the Director of the "Kinabatangan Orang-utan Conservation Project", in Sabah, Malaysia. A native of France but resident of Malaysia, his research focuses on a variety of topics including eco-ethological studies of orang-utan adaptation to disturbed habitats and the management of conflicts between orang-utans, elephants and human communities. Marc is also a trained veterinarian, who worked as the head of the Mammal and Veterinary Departments at the "National Wildlife Research Center", Taif, Saudi Arabia.

Ursula Valdez

...is a tropical biologist, ornithologist and conservationist. She obtained a Biology degree from the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina in Peru and a Master's Degree in Zoology and Animal Behavior from North Carolina State University. Recently, she finished her PhD at the University of Washington studying Forest-falcon ecology in the Peruvian Amazon. Currently, she is a lecturer at the Biology Department at UW where she teaches Conservation Biology, Ornithology and tropical biology. Ursula is a passionate field biologist who has conducted ecological and ornithological work in Peru, as well as in Ecuador, Panama, USA and Spain. She worked in Peru and Panama as a raptor biologist and was the Director of the Neotropical Environmental Education Program of The Peregrine Fund. She has been an instructor in tropical ecology courses in Peru and Costa Rica. She has also run field courses in ornithology for Latin American students and field biology and conservation courses for UW undergraduate students. Ursula started a conservation center in Peru (www.ceccot.org) dedicated to raise awareness among local communities of the importance of the rainforest ecology and conservation but integrated in the local human context. At the center she and her colleagues conduct research on birds and other taxonomical groups, work on public outreach and offer training in sustainable living. She is a committed conservationist and active in finding ways to lower humans’ ecological footprint.

Allison Gray

…is an instructor for Willamette University’s Graduate School of Education and is working towards a doctoral degree in educational methodology, policy, and leadership at the University of Oregon. Her focus is on professional development models for teachers in all subject areas. A former newspaper editor, she has recently served as a high school teacher and school administrator. Her commitment to wildlife conservation led her to volunteer for the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia, where she used her publishing experience to produce educational materials for local farmers and teachers. She has traveled throughout Central America and southern Africa. When not traveling or working, she can be found exploring the woods of the Pacific Northwest with her husband and canine companions.

Joe Zumpano

…is a seven-year veteran of the teaching profession, focusing much of his career in middle school science. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Akron and a Master of Arts in Administration from Baldwin-Wallace College. Joe spends much of his time in the classroom implementing inquiry-based science and action research with his students. Outside the classroom, Joe is involved with his district’s Energy Task Force, Math Visionary Team, and Business Advisory Council. He has had the opportunity to work at the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic in the Office of Civic Education Initiatives with their Innovative Scholar Program in the area of spine research and rehabilitation. In addition to his involvement with Earth Expeditions in Costa Rica and Belize, Joe has also had the opportunity to travel to parts of Europe and Northern Africa.

Ron Gray

… is the coordinator of the Professional Teachers Education Program for science and math teachers at Oregon State University. He received his Ph.D. from Oregon State University in science education and focuses on scientific inquiry and the nature of science in K-12 classrooms. He is also interested in the integration of the history of science into science instruction. Ron taught science for many years at both the middle and high school levels. He is passionate about making science accessible to all students and providing unique opportunities for teachers to engage with authentic science. While teaching, he was also the Education Coordinator for the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia and produced an edited volume of lesson plans for local teachers entitled “Cheetahs: A Predator’s Role in the Ecosystem.” His scientific research experience ranges from lab-based immunology and pharmacology studies to field studies of the collared peccary and great cats of Africa. He has multiple publications in both the science and science education fields. Between 2004 and 2006 he co-taught the expedition to Namibia. He has traveled extensively throughout southern Africa, Europe, Central America, and South America. At Oregon State University he teaches courses in science pedagogy and the nature and history of science.

Whitney Johnson

... is currently a Senior Program Officer at the Anschutz Family Foundation in Denver, Colorado. She received an undergraduate degree in International Studies and a master's degree in Environmental Sciences with a focus on community-based conservation from Miami University. She has co-facilitated Earth Expeditions in Costa Rica, Thailand, and Baja; as well as Zoo Expedition courses at the Cincinnati Zoo. Her current work and focus is on community change, social change and capacity building among individuals and the nonprofit sector.

Todd Levine

...is a doctoral candidate in Zoology at Miami University.  His current research centers around the relationship between freshwater mussels and fish, to which their larvae attach as parasites.  He grew up near the confluence of the Mississippi, Missouri and Illinois rivers and earned his BS and BA at the University of Missouri – St. Louis.  Along the way, he completed both a Research Experience for Undergraduates program at the University of Michigan Biological Station and the Wilderness and Civilization program at University of Montana.  He has taught at several levels, including at working with K-12 programs at a nature area, various bear outreach programs, an NSF-funded workshop teaching conservation genetics and inquiry for high school teachers and lab components of undergraduate courses.  He seeks out both traditional and non-traditional venues for teaching and research, combining his work and love of nature. 

Jessa Watters

... is the herpetology Collection Manager at the University of Oklahoma's Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. She works behind the scenes organizing and managing more than 50,000 amphibian and reptile specimens. Prior to this, Jessa was an Assistant Professor of Biology at Earlham College - where she taught Biodiversity, Evolutionary Biology, General Ecology, Population Biology and Community Ecology. She also taught High School Biology in Pensylvannia. Jessa completed her B.A. in Biology at Earlham College, and her M.S. in Zoology at the University of Hampshire. Jessa enjoys the outdoors, and her experiences in Galapagos, and Kenya had been instrumental in her developing a passion for experiential learning, field work, teaching and research.

Andrea Loayza

... is a Bolivian Ecologist. She interested in plant-animal interactions, experimental design, conservation, population biology, and teaching life sciences. Andrea has taught at the graduate and undergraduate level, in both Bolivia and United States. She has also taught several field-based courses. Andrea has done research in the tropical savannas, the neo-tropical rainforests, and the Pre-puna - a high altitude semi-arid environment. She is currently and associate researcher at the Institute of Ecology in La Paz Bolivia. Andrea completed her B.S. in Unviersidad Mayor de San Andres, her M.S. in Biology and her Ph.D. in Ecology at the University of Missouri in St. Louis.

Jongdee To im

..is a Thai woman who graduated with her Ph.D. in Science and Technology Education from Mah.idol University, Thailand. Her dissertation focused on the development of learning packages on local ecosystems to promote conceptual understanding, to develop a more caring/positive attitude toward ecosystems, and to improve the behaviors of lower secondary school students. She has participated in Earth Expeditions courses in Thailand and Costa Rica. Currently, she is an instructor of Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Mahidol University. Her interests include transformative learning, the inquiry approach, Buddhism and conservation, and applying indigenous knowledge into formal educational systems.

Melinda Voss

…is the Education Program Manager at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. She manages the operational and programmatic aspects of the Zoo’s public education programs, school services, and Nocturnal Adventure overnights. In 2005 Melinda received her Bachelor of Arts from DePauw University with a major in Political Science and minor in Biology. Even as a child growing up on her family’s horse farm outside of Cincinnati, Melinda has always had a passion for wildlife and wild places and strives to foster the same passion in others. She and her husband reside in historic Over-the-Rhine in downtown Cincinnati and are active supporters of the revitalization of the city and urban sustainable living.

Jonathan Lee

...is a Graduate Assistant for Project Dragonfly and a graduate student at Miami University's Institute of Environmental Sciences, where he is concentrating on natural sciences.  Before coming to Miami, he worked at the Alaska SeaLife Center and gained exposure to a number of avian species, predominantly a population of Eiders on site for research.  As a Graduate Assistant, Jonathan has worked in multiple facets, including data collection for the Wild Research project and as a Teaching Assistant for Zoo Expeditions and Earth Expeditions courses.

Cory Christopher

Kate Olukalns

Ricardo Stanoss

... joined the Brookfield Zoo in 2006 as the Director of Education and International Training. He graduated as a D.V.M. at the University of Buenos Aires in 1991. Previously, Ricardo was the Assistant Director of the National Audubon Society International Programs, and Associate Director of Education at Miami Metrozoo. Fluent in Spanish, English and Portuguese, Ricardo has experience in environmental leadership training, strategic planning, organizational management, fundraising, and communications. As Director of Education and International Training, Ricardo is responible for developing, implementing, and directing a comprehensive program to establish formaland informal public education initiatives and training of conservation professionals to develop human capacity to lead conservation efforts in Chicagoland and worldwide.

Andrew Mack

.... received his Ph.D in tropical biology from the University of Miami (Coral Gables). He is an expert on rainforest ecology, particularly in Papua New Guinea. There he lived for about 15 years and built a research station and ran a program that mentored national students. He helped create the PNG Institute of Biological Research (http://www.pngibr.org) along with a team of national scientists, most of whom were his former students. He has taught field biology courses in PNG since 1996 and is most proud that now his former students sometimes employ him to help them teach. Andrew has more than fifty publications, mostly relating to birds (particularly cassowaries) and conservation. He is a life member of the Society for Conservation Biology, an Elective Fellow of the American Ornithologists Union, and an associate editor of Pacific Conservation Biology. He has also done fieldwork in other rainforests, particularly Costa Rica, Malaysia, and Indonesia and has worked for the Wildlife Conservation Society and Conservation International. He is committed to building conservation capacity in developing nations and helped create and organization that does this (http://www.greencapacity.org). He currently lives on and is restoring a small tree farm in western Pennsylvania.

Heather Murdoch

... is the On-Site School Programs Coordinator at the
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. A native of the northwest, Heather received her B.S. in Fisheries & Wildlife with an option in Wildlife Education from Oregon State University. She has since traveled extensively throughout the U.S. working at zoos, nature centers, residential programs and environmental conservation organizations. Each experience has contributed to the mosaic of her ever-growing understanding of environmental education. She joined the Zoo in the fall of 2010 and looks forward to exploring more of Cincinnati and the Midwest.

Jen Hajj

... was a student on the Earth Expeditions trip to Trinidad in 2004. She received her BS degree in Biology at Westminster College of Salt Lake City in 1992. Having worked for 3 years as the Education Manager at Tracy Aviary, Jen now coordinates the education program at HawkWatch International, an organization that monitors migratory raptors across eleven States. She is also working on her MS degree at the Univeristy of Utah, due to be completed in Spring of 2006. Her thesis will explore the importance of affect in learning, investigating the effect of education outreach programs on Sense of Wonder in upper grade-school children.

Sarah F. Navarro

…grew up in Michigan where her parents fostered her love of nature with frequent camping trips. Sarah earned her B.S. as well as her M.S., both in Zoology, from Michigan State University. Her love of exotic educational opportunities began with graduate coursework in Kenya in 1999. First-hand understanding of the importance of experiencing truly wild places has inspired her to incorporate nature into her career. She joined the Education Department at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden in 2001 where she is the Education Program Coordinator of 18-36 month, 4/5 yr old, 12-14 yr old, Adult, Scout, & Family programs and has been involved with the Earth Expeditions Field and Zoo Expeditions programs since 2005. When she is not at work, she is playing and exploring nature with her husband and son.

Scott Wingate

... is the education coordinator at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical
Garden, where he manages the Zoo's youth public programs. He received his B.S. in Biology from The Ohio State University with an emphasis on Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology. After graduating he found himself sharing the joys of the natural world with others as a naturalist. Working at the Wilds really piqued his interest in global conservation and how important education is in its success!