Participant Biographies

If you believe you are registered for the workshop but your bio does not appear on
this page, please contact Beth Hoffman (bhoffman@cfa.harvard.edu).  
If you confirmed your participation but did not send a bio, the information provided 
is from your application and/or last year's workshop.

(PHOTOS TO COME)

Mary Albert
albertm497@aol.com



Susitna Elementary, Anchorage, AK
All subjects, 7 years.
Gifted Ed grades 2-6
Interests:
Studies of astronomical objects, analysis using image processing
software.
Implementation with include science, math, language arts.


    I teach a 5-6 combo class at Kasuun Elementary in Anchorage, AK.  
    I have a BA in Communications from University of Washington, a 
    BED from University of Alaska Anchorage, a Masters in Economic 
    Ed from University of Delaware.  I have two sons, one in the 
    US Navy, the other a Senior at West High here in Anchorage.  
    My husband and I have lived in Alaska for 23 years. 

    My passions are science, math, technology, my family, Alaska 
    and mountain biking.  Every year my class participates in an 
    Astronomy simulation game, creates a mini-society, and we play 
    the Stock Market Game.  This year we were the first class (Ibelieve) 
    in Alaska to play over the net.  We joined U. of Hawaii.  
    It was awesome! I am hoping to use the workshop to further 
    integrate astronmy into my class projects.

J.R. Condosta
condosta@ridgefield-ct.com



I am a ninth grade earth science teacher from Ridgfield,CT.
In additon to earth science education, I had an astronomy minor
in college, and am currently working on a masters in astronomy at
Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, CT.

I have had experience with photometry and image reduction using
IRAF software.  I have begun experimenting with the MicroObservatory 
telescopes, and hope to incorporate their use into my astronomy
unit next year.  Also I will be participating in Project Astro,
and would like to use remote telescopes with students in that program
as well.  I am particularly intersted in imaging Messier objects,
and would be interested in ideas for related science projects I could
do with my studnets.

With regard to expertise, I am probably most qualified to assist
people with HTML and webpage development as I am the computer club 
advisor at my school (http://www.ridgefield.org/rhs).  I can be
helpful in other ways (Real Sky, IRAF) but am still a novice in 
some areas, although always eager to learn.  Thanks for the wonderful 
opportunity.

John Everhart
jeverhart@InfoAve.Net



P  E  R  S  O  N  A  L
Born 9/16/52
Married for 25 years, One son in college (UNC-W)

E  D  U  C  A  T  I  O  N
AS, Biology, Davidson County Community College, 1972
BS, Biology, High Point University, 1976
MAEd, Science Education, Wake Forest University, 1989
specializing in ecology, especially aquatic

E  M  P  L  O  Y  M  E  N  T
Teacher, North Davidson High School		1976- Present
Have taught Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Physical Science, 
Advanced Science, and Astronomy.  Have served the last 
five years as Science Department Chair.
Serve as coach for the academic team and serve on and 
chair various school committees

Summer Experiences
1998- University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Member of the Engineering Outreach program, a three-week
program to update engineering advances as they relate to Physics
1996- Richard Childress Racing, Welcome, NC
Internship relating learning of the technology involved in Nascar 
Winston Cup Racing. Designed a TI-82 program that is currently used 
by the team to calculate pit/race performance.
1995- Harvard -Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Two-week workshop learning to use the MicroObservatory online
 telescopes.  One of only 12 teachers selected nationally to participate
1990-1994- Project Sci-Link- NCSU and U of MN
served as a master teacher to help other teachers relate environmental
concerns to their students
1989- Project MARS- UNC-CH
Morehead Astronomy Retraining Sessions to teach science teachers
how to better teach astronomy concepts

Rick Gottlieb
rgottlieb@chs.wsc.k12.ar.us



I teach grades 10-12 at a small rural school in Cedarville 
Arkansas.  This year I'll be teaching Physics, Trig/Calculus, and 
Computer Science, and would be glad to help other participants in the 
areas of physics, and troubleshooting any computer related problems 
which might arise.

Tom Hocking
starman@indy.net



...  is a veteran of the Astronomy Education movement, with 20 years in the
Planetarium field--including ten years as Education Coordinator of the
Morehead Planetarium at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  
Tom is a graduate of the Project SPICA program and a participant 
in two previous MicroObservatory workshops.

Currently Tom is a resident of Indianapolis, Indiana, where he works part
time at the SpaceQuest Planetarium of The Childrens Museum of 
Indianapolis as a Show Specialist. (He supports his education habit by 
working full time as a customer service representative for a local gas 
utility company.)  Tom is the Moderator for Dome-L, a daily electronic 
newsletter for planetarians worldwide and the Webmaster for the 
International Planetarium Society's website: http://www.ips-planetarium.org/. 
Tom is also active in other planetarium and aerospace-related organizations.

During the Workshop, Tom is available to help with finding resources or
helping with curriculum or distance education issues. Tom can be reached at
, and is available for online chatting most mornings and
evenings by appointment. 

Matie Hoffman 
HoffmanM@fsk.nw.uovs.ac.za



I am a lecturer in the Department of Physics, University of the 
Orange Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. I am lecturing in 
various disciplines in Physics, e.g.  Quantum Mechanics, Solid State 
Physics and Astronomy.

I am responsible for the educational activities at Boyden Observatory 
which is about 25 km from Bloemfontein. This observatory has been 
founded by Harvard College Observatory in 1889.

I am an experienced user of TheSky astronomical software. I also have 
some experience in photometry of Ro-Ap stars.

I intend to get some image processing experiece during this workshop, 
and if possible, I intend to observe parrallax of a nearby 
asteroid if one is available at the moment.

Jeff Lane
JC50@aol.com

I am currently teaching astronomy and physical science at
Tri-County Voc Tech, Franklin, Mass.

My home is in Sharon, Mass., on the shores of Lake Massapoag. 
We have lake in the front and lake in the back of our little cottage.  
During the month of June it attempted to join us in the kitchen!
I  am presently a member of the Project ComTech team at the 
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), and in the past was a   
contributing teacher to Project STAR, also at the CfA.
 
My current homework assignment is to observe the variable star 
Delta Cephei for a workshop in August. I would like to develop a  
short project / lesson plan for students introducing them to  
variable stars.

James Maloney
jim_maloney@mail.ab.mec.edu



Acton/Boxborough Regional High School, Acton MA
Earth Science  9 years

I would like to design a group of hands on lessons around 
observational astronomy.  I have not used the MicroObservatory.

I am a high school science teacher at Acton/Boxborough Regional high school
in Acton MA.  My primary teaching focus for the past nine years has been
earth science.  However, over the past three years I have been teaching a
couple of "alternative" courses in physical science targeted at nonscience
oriented students.

I got a rather belated start to teaching.  After graduating with a BS in
geology from Wheaton College, (the one in Illinois), I worked for several
years directing a residential program for troubled high school age youths
in the wilds of northern Arkansas.  I then worked for four years as a
Petroleum Geologist in the midwest.  I left the oil business to attend
graduate school at Boston College where I received a MST in earth science.

Having arrived in the teaching field by this twisty path provides
perspective.  I want to make the subjects I teach relevant.  I would like
the students to know that they can really use what they are learning.  I
believe MicroObservatory has the potential to be relevant and really
interesting for my students.  I would like to take from this workshop a
group of hands on lessons that I could use to strengthen my curriculum.  In
addition, I just want to learn this stuff.  I have an advanced beginners
knowledge in image processing, computer technology and astronomy.  I am
eager to improve these skills.

I am not sure what I can offer in the way of expertise to this workshop.  I
suppose if anyone wants to know something about rocks I can help.  I guess
my greatest contribution might be in curriculum development.

*William (Bill) McKeon
mailto:nazin@aol.com



I would like to expand on last years project now that we 
have an internet connection.  This year I would like to use 
past celestial events and connect these events with 
whatever times in hsitory they were viewed on earth. 
An example could be the supernova seen in the year 1054 
by Chinese astronmers.  (the children were told about this 
event by the planetarium astronomer)  The childern could 
study Chinese history of the time and how the event was 
explained and experienced by the people and take picture of the 
Crab Nebula as refference.   Other such events are what I am looking 
for from MO partisipants.  The children showed a great interest 
in this kind of "big" event.  

This year the students and I, without the  use of an on-line service, 
studied the stars through books, mag's, and the local planitarium. 
The idea was to connect stars, with known distances, that 
cooresponded with the children's family history. The children where 
asked to interview their family members and bring back info and 
pictures.  Most children dated their families to simalar time periods.  
(This was somewhat expected) We picked four time periods that it 
seemed most families had a connection to.  The Great Depression, 
WWII, The 1960's and their own year of birth
1987.  We then set out through research, and help from the astromomer 
at the planetarium, to obtaian four stars one  about 11 light years away, 
one 30-35 LY away, another 45-50 LY away and lastly one 
60-65 LY away.  Each of these stars having omitted light, now 
visable to us, about the time their ancestors were experiencing 
these "special" times in history.  After viewing movies and having 
visitors to the class who actually lived during these times we created 
a show that would be shown at the planitarium during a special day 
that the whole school would attend.  The show was  a multi-media 
display where the children's family photos and  vocies, along with 
locations of our "family stars" where talked about, connected to 
historical events, and our own family stories. While this wasn't a 
use of MO directly I feel that the idea was found and expanded upon 
during last years workshop. 

*A participant at last year's online workshop, Bill will join us
for the second half of Workshop 98. He is a 4th and 5th grade 
teacher who has been teaching for 2 years.

Bruce Mellin
brucem@artsaroundboston.com



BS in Earth Science and Education - Northeastern University
MST in Earth Science - Boston College
Taught Junior High Earth Science for 21 years
Senior Lecturer - University College - Northeastern University  - Boston Mass.
Teach Astronomy and Earth Sciences (24 years)
Consultant to Evening Earth Science Program - Northeastern University
Currently teaching Astronomy and Earth Sciences at the Brooks School in 
North Andover Mass.(9 years)

In 1989, I accepted a sabbatical position at the observatory  and 
became one of the early people to work on the MicroObservatory Project. 
It has been amazing to watch the hardware and software evolve over the 
past nine years.  No one could have guessed then that the internet would 
become the interface to link  the MO with the entire country.

Eight years ago when hired at Brooks, I was determined to elevate the 
high school astronomy program into a true lab-research science.  
Progress towards that goal has been made with each passing year.   
This fall, the curriculum will focus on  image processing techniques 
and Voyager II© sky models that I hope will stimulate individual 
research projects on comets, asteroids or the Moon.  

My students will be testing an  activity  I recently wrote that investigates 
comet velocity and dimensions. The activity will be included on  a CD of 
image processing activities to be published by the Center for Image 
Processing at the University of Arizona.  Techniques acquired from the 
activity  will be used by my student to investigate any object orbiting 
in the solar system.

Robert Ochs
lrochs@snet.net



Norwich Free Academy, Norwich, CT
Grades 10-12
Variable Star observing using MicroObservatory.  
Some of my students  began working on this project this year and 
I would like to develop it further.  Students take an image of a 
particular area of the sky with a 
known variable star over a period of days.  
They then take the images 
and compare the brightness (size) of the image of 
the variable with  known (from star charts) images of nearby stars.  
Our initial work on this  project was very successful.  
We used Delta Cepheus as our initial reference 
variable star.  I would like to expand this type of activity to 
area elementary students in local schools.

I feel that the ability to develop ties between the AAVSO materials and 
MO would be valuable.  Also ties between the NASA Ambassador to Jupiter 
project and MO would be valuable.  I also feel it would be valuable to 
expand astronomical "hands on" experiences to area elementary kids.


Education:
        *  BA Ohio State University, Comprehensive Science Education
        *  BS University of Connecticut, Curriculum
        *  MSLIS University of Rhode Island, Library and Information Science

Other projects:
        *  AAVSO "Hands-on" astrophysics project
        *  SPICA
        *  ASTRA
        *  MICROOBSERVATORY
        *  NASA "AMBASSADOR TO JUPITER" FROM CONNECTICUT

Equipment:
        *  10" Meade LX200
        *  8"  Celestron
        *  Tele-Vu Genesis
        *  14" Celestron observatory (at school)

Areas for possible "Workshop advisor"
        *  Red Shift III software package
        *  Starry Night software package
        *  The Sky software package
        *  Deep Space V software package
        *  Science curriculum development
        *  Any of the telescopes listed above
        *  MicroObservatory use in Jupiter mass project and 
Variable Star Observing

Employment:
        *  Taught science (astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, 
environmental science) since 1971 at the Norwich Free Academy, Norwich, CT
        *  Advisor of science and astronomy clubs
        *  Responsible for satellite technology, computers and digital imaging

Memberships:
        *  National Science Teachers
        *  Astronomical Society of the Pacific
        *  Astronomical Society of Greater Hartford
        *  Planetary Society

Proposed Project:
        *  Adding MicroObservatory to AAVSO's "Hands-on 
Astrophysics" package --"Variable Stars in Science, Math, and 
Computer Education."

Mark Petricone
PETROSOCC@aol.com



I teach in Watertown MA . I teach  Bio, Earth Science with an Outdoors
component, and ASTRONOMY .   I designed my astronomy course to include
curriculum  that I have picked up from the projects  founded in the Harvard
Science Ed. dept that this MicroObservatory idea was founded. I use activities
from project STAR, SPICA and Spectroscopy. I have taught for 23 years.  I
still enjoy my job  but its getting tougher.  I am the worlds biggest World
Cup soccer fan. 

Also interested in:
Student teams to Image  a portfolio of celestial objects,
Moon phases, Galaxies, Sunspots, Planet moons, Starclusters

Mike Richard
mrichard@massed.net



I am a science teacher at Weymouth High School in Weymouth, MA, a 
suburban community about ten miles south of Boston. The high school is a 
10-12 school with about 1460 students.
I have been teaching earth science courses for the past twenty-eight
years. The  primary course I teach is Astronomy / Geology, a year long
 course during which we spend a semester studying each discipline. 
I am in the processof developing and teaching a new elective course 
which I am calling Earth  Science Systems. The course is open to students 
in grades 11 and 12 and uses a Problem Based Learning approach with 
students usually working in teams on a topic for a number of days or weeks. 
The students have lots of access
to the Internet and computer technology (Mac based).
I have used MicroObservatory with my students and they have performed 
image processing on their telescope images using NIH Image. I would be 
happy to share my experiences with other workshop participants.


Tom Sarko
tomsdianas@worldnet.att.net



I have taught junior high science and math for 23 years, 
including one year in a public school, three years in a parochial 
school, two years serving as a NASA Aerospace Education Specialist, 
and 17 years at Palm Beach Day School (a K-9 private school, in 
Florida, where I currently teach). During the '98-'99 school year, I 
will be teaching 6th grade Earth/space science and 7th grade physical 
science.

Areas of interest where I might be able to serve as an advisor 
are space science and exploration, amateur astronomy and telescope 
use, and using the World Wide Web for science education. I have quite 
a bit of PC experience, but I am most familiar with Macintosh use.

Shirle Schy
schyus@proaxis.com

I have lived in Corvallis, Oregon for over 20 years. 
I am married, the mom to three girls and a cat named Sarah. I taught
K-1 for 7 years but have taught 3-4 the last two years. What a change!
Rollerblading, watercolor, photography, collecting Legos, and chasing a 4
year old around are a few of my hobbies.  My interest in astronomy is a new
thing. Last summer I saw Saturn through a telescope for the first time.
Amazing!
Last year our class learned about the Cassini and the moon in math. I would
like to continue the moon theme this coming school year and hope to use the
online telescope for some of our projects.

Bruce Seiger
bseiger@concord.org



Bruce Seiger is a physics, robotics, and design technology teacher 
at Wellesley High School and serves as assistant department chair
in charge of technology education.  He is a frequent collaborator with 
TERC and MIT and the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics..  
He has adopted a project-oriented style of instruction using computers, 
robotics, networking, instrumentation, and interactive TV that attracts 
and motivates a broad range of students.  A heavy user and contributor 
on the networks, he has provided on-line support as a network 
moderator in the TERC LabNet and Global Lab projects.  He has extensive
experience in teacher enhancement workshops offered by LabNet, two 
NSF-funded projects at Simmons College, and the NSF-funded Ecsel 
Project which disseminates project oriented instruction for underserved 
pre-engineering students.  He has developed and disseminated a robotics 
science/technology curriculum based on Anita FlynnÕs and Joe JonesÕ MIT 
work on mobile robots. He is currently a co-author in the latest edition of 
this book.  Active in professional affairs, he organized a local computer 
using teachers group in the 1970Õs, has served as the telecommunications 
coordinator of the New England section of the AAPT, and is active in the 
ITEA regionally and nationally. He has been the chairman of the IEEE Robotics 
and Automation Society since 1997.  

Margaret Spiller
mspiller@mail.telis.org



I majored in chemistry with a physics minor, earned an M.A. in Science
Education, and have been a high school physics and chemistry teacher and
high school administrator since 1967.  I first fell in love with science
in the seventh grade when we had a brief introduction to astronomy in
our social studies class.  I have taught physics, chemistry, math,
physical science, introduction to computers, BASIC, Pascal, and Visual
Basic programming, and junior high science.  I was involved in
curriculum development as a vice-principal for twelve years, and am
currently completing my tenth year as principal of a small, Catholic,
girls' secondary school in southern California.  I try to teach at least
one computer or science class each year.  Next year I am very pleased to
be piloting with another teacher a new physical science course that
includes a unit on astronomy (the very first time I've ever gotten to
really focus on astronomy!)

I am definitely an amateur in this area, but I really enjoy learning
more and sharing my interest in astronomy with others.  I just returned
from a camping trip in the Eastern Sierra where I was able to spend some
time working with an Edmund's Scientific telescope I found here at
school.  We had little astronomy workshops every night around the
campfire.



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