curriculum vitae

Goals:

My goal is to teach evolution, biology, and environmental science in ways that inspire students to learn about themselves and our world. To facilitate this, I plan to continue creating hands-on and web-based interactive activities that help students understand complex concepts. Ideally, I would like to collaborate with an innovative team to create web sites that provide users with enticing and educational interactive animations, insightful video and other powerful communication tools.

Education:

Ph.D., Microbial Ecology with minor in Educational Technology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 1995.

Pilgrim, explored Thailand, Burma, India, Pakistan, China, Tibet, Nepal, Hong Kong Japan, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador. 1985-1986 and 1989.

B.S., Journalism with minor in Science. Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 1985.

Work History:

Teacher of Evolution and Curriculum Developer   (2005-Present)
Created hands-on experiments, curriculum, and taught Exploring Evolution for University of Colorado’s Science Discovery, a summer science camp for elementary and middle school students. Created Tree of Life poster; Evolution Beads activity, and Tinkering with DNA activity to use in class.

Workshop Leader, Teacher and Website Producer   (2004-Present)
Lead group discussions, give talks, and create a web site about the Epic of Evolution.

Independent Web Producer   (2002-Present)
Spicy Peach Productions. Designed, implemented and consulted on variety of web sites for diverse clients in science, education, dance, music, and the integration of science and spirituality.

Science Curriculum Developer   (2004)
Created hands-on curriculum and taught for Science Matters, an after-school science program for elementary school kids.

Web and Multimedia Producer   (1994 - 2001)
Michigan State University’s Department of Environmental Engineering and at MSU’s Communication Technology Laboratory.  Collaborated synergistically with scientists, educators and other multimedia producers to design CD-ROM and web sites. Created information architecture, conceptualized overall designs, wrote copy, created graphics, narrated, and programmed CD-ROM and various web sites including EnviroTools.org, Schoolcraft Bioaugmentation,  Environmental Science and Engineering at MSU, International Society for Microbial Ecology (ISME), the Digital Learning Center for Microbial Ecology and the The Microbe Zoo on CD-ROM.

Research Assistant   (1989 -1994)
Michigan State University. Discovered evolutionary relatedness (phylogenies) of diverse 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate degrading bacteria; tracked their evolution via gene transfer; and mapped their global distribution.

Teaching Assistant  (1990 -1991)
Michigan State University. Designed and taught graduate level microbial ecology laboratory course; taught biology and introductory microbiology laboratory.

Research Assistant (1987-1988)
University of Colorado. Investigated symbiosis between mycorrhizal fungi and Galapagos tomatoes.

Microbiology Lab Preparator (1987)
University of Colorado. Wrote syllabus, created lesson plans, and taught about molecular biology and environmental microbiology for microbiology lab. Prepared media, cultures and materials.

Editor (1986-1987)
Tokyo University Medical School hematology laboratory. Edited manuscripts for publication in English-language scientific journals.

Office Manager (1985)
Assisted Dr. Lynn Margulis, discoverer of endosymbiosis in cell evolution and contributor to Gaia Hypothesis. Boston University.

Editorial Assistant (1984)
Oceanus Magazine, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Massachusetts. Edited manuscripts; wrote book reviews.

Clerical Aide (1983)
United States Senate Committee on Science and Technology. Reported to senators about hearings on science education and National Ocean Policy Study (NOPS).

Multimedia Projects:

Tree of Life
http://www.epicofevolution.com/treeoflife.html

Epic of Evolution
http://www.epicofevolution.com

Art of Grace
http://www.ArtOfGrace.org

Community UCC
http://www.cuccboulder.org

Bear Creek Elementary School

Dance Colorado

Environmental Science and Engineering at MSU
http://www.egr.msu.edu/environment

Schoolcraft Bioaugmentation
http://www.egr.msu.edu/schoolcraft

Microbe Zoo version 2 on CD-ROM additional microbes, expanded narration, enhanced interactivity.

Microbe of the Month. Joint Project of ISME and Digital Learning Center for Microbial Ecology (DLC-ME.)

International Society for Microbial Ecology web pages. Launched 1998. Web Weaver, designed pages, created graphics, collected information, wrote text, created pages.

Digital Learning Center for Microbial Ecology
World Wide Web site launched 1995 featuring engaging pictures, micrographs, text, and links to resources for learning microbial ecology.

Microbe Zoo - interactive CD-ROM published 1997 by Peregrine Publishers. Selected as Parents' Choice Award winner by Newsweek Parents' Guide to Software and finalist in the 1996 Invision Awards by New Media Magazine.

Compost Happens - interactive simulation about the microbiology of composting (created using Director). Presented at the American Society of Microbiology Annual Meeting in Atlanta, 1994.

Nitrogen Cycle Game - interactive simulation (created using Director) of the Nitrogen Cycle featuring the role of microbes in converting nitrogen compounds in the biosphere. Presented at science teacher workshop at Michigan State University, 1996.

Skills:

Creative Skills

• Over 12 years experience in design, development, and implementation of engaging, informative, and user-friendly web sites.
• Fluent in all aspects of web production, including design of site architecture, user interface, navigation, menus and site maps, creating page layouts, optimizing graphics, writing code.       
• Skilled in photography and digital graphic arts.
• Experienced in creating print materials
• Some experience producing video, audio and interactive animations.

Communication and Teaching Skills

• Skilled at collaborating synergistically with teachers, scientists, artists, writers, engineers, computer programmers, business people, and others.
• Skilled in encouraging, teaching and inspiring coworkers, clients and students. Friendly disposition and sense of humor.
• Skilled in writing and editing
• Skilled in listening to clients and users to translate their ideas into rich web experiences.
• Experienced at public speaking

Investigative and Analytic Skills

• Proficient at analyzing, synthesizing, and integrating complicated and diverse information to create easy-to-use web sites.  Adept at translating a “whole-picture” vision into engaging, useful, interactive media.
• Skilled at organizing and managing large amounts of data, including photos, contacts and project tasks using databases and spreadsheets.
• Experienced in observing end-user experience and analysis of web traffic statistics to optimize the web experience.
• Extensive knowledge in areas of evolution, molecular biology, microbiology, ecology, science education, mind-body fitness, and reconciliation of science and spirituality.

Computer Skills: HTML, CSS, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Illustrator, Mac and Windows operating systems, MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Filemaker Pro database, iPhoto, as well as 35 mm and digital photography and videography. Experience with iMovie, iDVD, InDesign, Flash, Director, Javascript, PageMaker, and Final Cut Pro.

Selected Publications and Presentations:

note: my unmarried name was Catherine McGowan.

Russell, Catherine, 2007. "Tinkering with DNA: Hands on activities to learn about DNA's role in evolution." Workshop and presentation to National Science Teachers Association meeting in Denver, October, 2007.

Russell, Catherine. 2007. "Tree of Life" poster. This colorful poster depicts the relationships of all life on Earth based on DNA evidence. Available at Zazzle.com. Presented to NSTA meeting in Denver, October, 2007.

Russell, Catherine, 2007. "Evolution Beads: Guide to Understanding the Epic of Evolution." This guide lists the times of major events in the Epic of Evolution and provides spaces for students to describe their unique beads that tell the story of the Epic of Evolution. This guide has been used by students in Exploring Evolution workshops.

Vallaeys, T., L. Courde, C. McGowan, A.D. Wright, R.R. Fulthorpe. 1999. "Phylogenetic analyses indicate independent recruitment of diverse gene cassettes during assemblage of the 2,4-D catabolic pathway." FEMS
Microb. Ecol. 28:373-382.

McGowan, C., R. Fulthorpe, A. Wright, J. Tiedje. 1998. "Evidence for interspecies gene transfer in the evolution of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid degraders." Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64:4089-4092.

McGowan, C., R.M.Russell, S. Tellschow, B. Cors, J. Whallon, J. Holt, R.W. Matson, and C.J. Heeter. 1996. "The Microbe Zoo on the Internet and on CD-ROM: Students' and Teachers' Experiences with the Digital Learning Center for Microbial Ecology", 96th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, New Orleans, Louisiana, 19-23 May 1996.

Tiedje, J. M., R. Fulthorpe, Y. Kamagata, C. McGowan, A. Rhodes and H. Takami. 1997. "What is the global pattern of chloroaromatic degrading microbial populations?" pp. 65-74. In Koki Horikoshi, Masao Fukuda and Toshiaki Kudo, (ed.), Microbial Diversity and Genetics of Biodegradation. Japan Scientific Societies Press, Tokyo.

Maltseva, Olga, C. McGowan, R. Fulthorpe, and P. Oriel. 1996. "Degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid by by haloalkalphilic bacteria." Microbiology. 142:1115-1122.

Nakatsu, C. H. Fumiyasu Fukumori, R. R. Fulthorpe, R. P. Hausinger, W. E. Holben, Y. Kamagata, R. Corona, R. E. Lenski, O. V. Maltseva, V. G. Matheson, C. McGowan, Y. Suwa, J. M. Tiedje, N. L. Tonso, E. M. Top, A. D. Wright, and L. J. Forney. 1996. "Genetic Diversity of 2,4-D Catabolic Genes." pp. 197-206. In Koki Horikoshi, Masao Fukuda and Toshiaki Kudo, (ed.), Microbial Diversity and Genetics of Biodegradation. Japan Scientific Societies Press, Tokyo.

Russell, R.M., C. McGowan, R. W. Matson, S. Tellschow, J. Whallon, J. Holt and C. J. Heeter. 1995. "The Microbe Zoo: Interactive educational multimedia in microbial ecology." Computer demonstration presented at the 7th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology, Santos, Brazil, August 27- September 1995.

McGowan, C. and R. M. Russell. 1995. "The Digital Learning Center for Microbial Ecology." Computer demonstration presentation to the 95th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Washington, D.C. 21-25 May.

McGowan, Catherine. 1995. "Interspecies gene transfer in the evolution of 2,4-D degrading bacteria." Ph.D. Thesis. Michigan State University.

Fulthorpe, R.R., C. McGowan, O.V. Maltseva, W.E. Holben, and J.M. Tiedje. 1995. "2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid degrading bacteria contain mosaics of catabolic genes." Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 61:3274-3281.

Hobbies:

Community Involvement:

• Epic of Evolution Presenter
• Website producer at Community UCC
• Bear Creek Elementary School web site co-producer
• Volunteer in teaching literacy and science to students at Bear Creek Elementary
• Cub Scout den leader
• Earth Action Team member at Community UCC
• Garden Designer