Professional experience
2004 – present Colonial Heights Middle School Colonial Heights, VA
Life Science Teacher & Science Department Chair, 7th Grade
2004 – 2005 Science Museum of Virginia Richmond, VA
Outreach Educator
Developed curriculum in fields of life science and earth & space science and taught in diverse classrooms across the state of Virginia
2001 - 2008 Colonial Heights Middle School Colonial Heights, VA
CHASA Air & Space Club Sponsor
Developed after school program for students that focused on the NASA shuttle program while reinforcing key science concepts
2000 – 2002 Space Camp Huntsville, AL
Space Camp Counselor
Directed student activities for campers in grades 7 to 9
Professional memberships
National Science Teachers Association, Virginia Asociation of Science Teachers, National Education Association, Virginia Education Association, Colonial Heights Education Association, ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development), Virginia ASCD, International Society for Technology in Education, Virginia Society for Technology in Education
Endorsements & Certifications
Virginia Teaching License endorsed in Biology
National Geographic Certified Educator
Google Certified Educator Level I and Level II
Completed Google for Education Certified Trainer Skills Assessment
Publications
Professional leadership roles
Education
2018 University Systems of Georgia via Coursera.org
K-12 Blended and Online Learning Certificate
2010 - 2015 Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University Blacksburg, VA
M.A. Curriculum and Instruction Integrative STEM Education
Fall 2009 University of Maryland College Park, MD
Chemical Ecology course
2004 – 2008 University of Virginia Richmond, VA
Teaching License – Alternate Route to Licensure
2002 - 2004 VCU Medical College of Virginia Richmond, VA
Doctor of Medicine
75 Hours completed after early acceptance
1998 – 2002 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
B.S. in Biological Sciences
Magna cum laude, member of Phi Beta Kappa and award University Honors
2004 – present Colonial Heights Middle School Colonial Heights, VA
Life Science Teacher & Science Department Chair, 7th Grade
2004 – 2005 Science Museum of Virginia Richmond, VA
Outreach Educator
Developed curriculum in fields of life science and earth & space science and taught in diverse classrooms across the state of Virginia
2001 - 2008 Colonial Heights Middle School Colonial Heights, VA
CHASA Air & Space Club Sponsor
Developed after school program for students that focused on the NASA shuttle program while reinforcing key science concepts
2000 – 2002 Space Camp Huntsville, AL
Space Camp Counselor
Directed student activities for campers in grades 7 to 9
Professional memberships
National Science Teachers Association, Virginia Asociation of Science Teachers, National Education Association, Virginia Education Association, Colonial Heights Education Association, ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development), Virginia ASCD, International Society for Technology in Education, Virginia Society for Technology in Education
Endorsements & Certifications
Virginia Teaching License endorsed in Biology
National Geographic Certified Educator
Google Certified Educator Level I and Level II
Completed Google for Education Certified Trainer Skills Assessment
Publications
- Ewalt, K., Dortch, B., & Russell, V. (2015). See less sea-less seagulls: Planning for an interdisciplinary STEM unit. Science Scope, 18–27.
- 2018 – Virginia Association of Science Teachers (VAST) RISE awardee for Outstanding Middle School Science Educator
- 2015 Colonial Heights Middle School Teacher of the Year
- 2015 Southside Virginia Regional Technology Consortium Technology Teacher Award for Colonial Heights Middle School
- 2011 Virginia Institute of Marine Science Chesapeake Bay Academy Coast Ecosystems Field Course intern
- 2009 Mathematics and Science Innovation Center certificate of merit for Emerging Fields of Math and Science
- 2008 Leigh Wade Chapter of the Air Force Association “Chapter Teacher of the Year”
- 2008 Mathematics and Science Innovation Center certificate of merit for Fractals: A New Lens on the Natural World
Professional leadership roles
- 2019 - present Organizer Tri-Cities Regional STEAM & Literary Expo
- 2019 - Chief Organizer first Colonial Heights Middle School STEM Family Activity Night
- 2019 - Chesapeake Bay Foundation Teacher Environmental Literacy Leadership Program instructor – Mentor Teacher Chesapeake Classroom “Fostering Environmental Literacy in Colonial Heights Public Schools”
- 2019 - Conference presenter at EdTechRVA19 conference of the Greater Richmond Area Education Technology Consortium.
- 2018 – Lead teacher Blended Classroom Builders summer research group
- 2018 Sponsoring teacher for the Virginia Junior Academy of Sciences 77th Symposium
- 2016 - present Science Department Chair for Colonial Heights Middle School
- 2016 Colonial Heights Public Schools Summer Technology Institute Professional Development Instructor: YouTube Introduction and Pedagogy
- 2015 Colonial Heights Public Schools conference presenter at VASCD Annual Conference, STEM Initiative Rooted in Collaboration
- 2014 - 2016 Leader 7th Grade STEM initiative - coordinated launch of a year-long cross-curricular theme to "See Less Sea-Less Seagulls", where students applied knowledge learned from multiple subjects to propose a way to solve a local problem of invasive seagulls
- 2013 - present STEM Advisory Committee representative for the middle school
- 2012 Science Club Sponsor (http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf3pd2bwt1PUXtOo4M347Lw)
- 2011 Teachers on the Bay: Bounty of the Bay participant (http://youtu.be/2x6Jm6kOsYQ)
- 2011 Virginia Institute of Marine Science Chesapeake Bay Academy Coast Ecosystems Field Course participant, Wachopreague (http://youtu.be/A6nNalfD74E)
- 2010 – 2011 Colonial Heights Middle School Standards Mastery Data Aggregator - synthesize the data from entire school to determine standards readiness
- 2009 – present Mathematics and Science Innovation Center Nanotechnology Fellow - includes outreach into my school system to bring nanotechnology from the forefront of science into the classroom
- 2008 Mathematics and Science Innovation Center & Colonial Heights Public Schools Virginia Association of Science Teachers conference presenter of Fractals in the Classroom
- 2008 & 2010 & 2014 Sponsoring teacher for the Metro Richmond Science Fair
- 2006 – present Colonial Heights Public Schools Gifted Advisory Council Middle School representative
- 2007 Colonial Heights Public Schools Professional Development instructor for Math Fractals: Using nature’s patterns to teach geometry and algebra
- 2006 – 2008 Mathematics and Science Innovation Center Fractal Fellow - includes outreach into my school system to bring ideas from the forefront of science into the classroom
- 2006 – 2011 Colonial Heights Middle School Team Off-site Education coordinator – coordinate multiple field trips throughout the year for 7th grade students
- 2006 – 2007 US Army Quartermaster Museum and US Army Petroleum and Water Department Curriculum Developer for the On-site education program “Are you Going to Drink That?”, intended for 6-12 students visiting the Army’s Water Treatment Facility site on the Appomattox River at Fort Lee
- 2003 Colonial Heights Public Schools National Association of Science Teachers presenter of CSI: Colonial Heights – a school-wide forensic encounters activity day
Education
2018 University Systems of Georgia via Coursera.org
K-12 Blended and Online Learning Certificate
2010 - 2015 Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University Blacksburg, VA
M.A. Curriculum and Instruction Integrative STEM Education
Fall 2009 University of Maryland College Park, MD
Chemical Ecology course
2004 – 2008 University of Virginia Richmond, VA
Teaching License – Alternate Route to Licensure
2002 - 2004 VCU Medical College of Virginia Richmond, VA
Doctor of Medicine
75 Hours completed after early acceptance
1998 – 2002 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
B.S. in Biological Sciences
Magna cum laude, member of Phi Beta Kappa and award University Honors