Susan Weikel Morrison

My mission is to improve the quality of science education and increase excitement and interest about science in central California

Science Education Program Developer at Sci-Q Systems

September 2002 - Present | Fresno, California

(1) I am teaching lessons about Solar System exploration at schools in Fresno, Merced and Stanislaus Counties during the 2012-13 school year and will be publishing free space sciences lessons on TeachersPayTeachers.com. (2) I have developed and installed astronomy and space exploration exhibits in the Galaxy Room of The Children's Museum of Stockton and at Fresno's Discovery Center. These exhibits include artifacts from NASA as well as hands on learning materials. I will also be installing paleontology exhibits at Fresno's Discovery Center, a marine biology exhibit at Children’s Museum of Stockton, and exhibits on space exploration at World of Wonders Museum in Lodi, Children’s Museum of the Sierras in Oakhurst, and Buena Vista Museum of Natural History in Bakersfield. (3) I helped arrange for 7 Central California museums and a zoo to transfer exhibits from Castle Science and Tech Center to their sites. (4) I have finished assisting NASA and Castle Challenger/Science and Tech Center to bring the GEMS Space Sciences outreach program to a smooth conclusion. (5) I am continuing to work with Lawrence Hall of Science in offering GEMS workshops in Central California

Solar System Ambassador at NASA/Jet Propulsion Labboratory

January 2013 - Present | Pasadena, California

I am honored to have been selected to be part of a volunteer program to publicize NASA's robotic exploration programs in Fresno, Madera, Merced, and Stanislaus Counties.

GEMS Trainer and Facilitator/Exhibit Preparator at Challenger Learning Center of the San Joaquin Valley/Castle Science and Tech Center

October 2006 - August 2012 | Atwater, California

I trained and worked with over 40 grade 5 and grade 8 teachers in Merced County, CA, to implement the GEMS science program. I also prepared and maintained science museum exhibits. Challenger Learning Center/Castle Science and Technology Center in Atwater, CA, closed permanently on July 31, 2012, due to insufficient funding. I wrote 32 Science, ELA, and Math lessons to accompany the Star Challengers trilogy by Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta, and June Scobee Rogers. On March 25, I presented one of these lessons, "My Place in Space," at a NASA educator workshop on the ISS at JPL.

teacher at Millview School, Madera Unified School District

September 1986 - July 2006 | Madera, California

grades 4 – 6 classroom teacher, bilingual/ELD specialist, mentor teacher, GLOBE teacher, GATE teacher and coordinator, and science program coordinator

teacher at Huron Elementary School, Coalinga Unified School District

August 1971 - June 1986 | Huron, California

grade 4 - 6 bilingual teacher, mentor teacher, and district science council member

Preparator at Anthropology Museum, University of California

September 1963 - June 1967 | Berkeley, California

I recorded new acquisitions, helped maintain and repair artifact, and helped prepare new exhibits.

California State University-Fresno

1973 – 1990

Concentration: Education

California State University-East Bay

1970 – 1971

Elementary Credential

Concentration: Elementary Education

University of California, Berkeley

1963 – 1968

AB

Concentration: Anthropology

University of Colorado at Boulder

1960 – 1963

Concentration: Anthropology

Concentration: Recent Science Courses

Activities: 2007: Jurassic Paleontology, Dinosaur Center, Thermopolis, WY; 2008: Pleistocene Paleontology, Mammoth Site, Hot Springs, SD; 2008: Kepler Mission Workshop, SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA; 2010: GEMS Training, Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley, CA; 2010: Marine Biology, Oceanic Soc. Research Station, Turneffe Atoll, Belize; 2012: International Space Station and Low Earth Orbit PD, Jet Propulsion Lab, Pasadena, CA

general science, elementary education, space science, NASA, anthropology, archaeology, paleontology