MISE
Faculty and Staff
Emeritus Faculty are listed on the Emeriti Faculty Page
| Director: | Dr. William W. Cobern Professor of Biological Sciences and Science Education Director of the Mallinson Institute for Science Education B.A., University of California (San Diego) Ph.D., University of Colorado (Boulder) Office: 3245 Wood Hall Phone: (269) 387-5407 http://homepages.wmich.edu/~cobern/ |
| Dr. Cobern has a joint appointment in the Department of Biological Sciences and the Mallinson Institute for Science Education. He began his science education career as a high school biology and chemistry teacher, and has also taught science at the elementary and college levels. At the Institute he teaches a variety of courses for science teacher development and science education research. He has an active research program funded by the National Science Foundation (see his homepage). In 2006, Dr. Cobern was named Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. | |
Faculty:  | Dr. Marcia Fetters Associate Professor and Interim Assistant Chair of Teaching, Learning and Educational Studies B.S., M.A. Ed., and Ph.D. Michigan State University Office: 2425 Sangren Hall - Phone: (269) 387-3538 Office: 3242 Wood Hall - Phone: (269) 387-5927 Fax: (269) 387-2882 http://homepages.wmich.edu/~mfetters/ |
| Dr. Fetters has a joint appointment in the Department of Teaching, Learning & Leadership and the Mallinson Institute for Science Education. Her primary undergraduate teaching assignment is secondary science methods. At the graduate level, she teaches a variety of courses for science teacher professional development and growth. Her research interests focus on the needs of individuals marginalized from the science education community, with a special focus on individuals with learning disabilities, and science in informal settings. Related to this interest, she has explored, written about, and published on the use of toys to teach science concepts. | |
| Dr. Herb Fynewever Assistant Professor of Chemistry B.S. Calvin College Ph. D. University of Wisconsin--Madison Office: 3145 Wood Hall Phone: (269) 387-5393 http://homepages.wmich.edu/~hfynewever/ | |
Dr. Fynewever has a joint appointment in the Chemistry Department and the Mallinson Institute for Science Education. His research group studies how students learn chemistry. In particular, they investigate how the type and timing of feedback impacts students' learning. They study how this formative assessment can be incorporated into homework assignments, peer-to-peer instruction, self/computer instruction, teacher/student interaction, classroom activities, and even testing. Prior to joining WMU, Dr. Fynewever taught General Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, and Computational Chemistry for five years at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona California. Dr. Fynewever will join the Institute in the Fall 2005. | |
Faculty:  | Dr. Charles Henderson Assistant Professor of Physics BA Macalester College M.S., Ph.D. University of Minnesota Office: 1129 Everett Tower Phone: (269) 387-4951 |
| Dr. Henderson has a joint appointment in the Physics Department and the Mallinson Institute for Science Education. He has experience teaching physics in a variety of settings (high school, community college, private college, research university). His current work is focused on physics teachers/faculty beliefs about teaching and learning and how these beliefs affect the adoption and use of research-based instructional strategies. The results of this type of research can be used to better match curriculum development efforts to the beliefs and skills of physics teachers and to improve the effectiveness of professional development programs for physics teachers. | |
Senior Researcher: | Dr. Mark Jenness Senior Researcher Mallinson Institute for Science Education Director of Science and Mathematics Program Improvement (SAMPI) B.S., Nazareth College M.A., Ed.D. Western Michigan University Office: 3225 Wood Hall Phone: (269) 387-3791 |
Dr. Jenness is Director of SAMPI, an outreach division of the Mallinson Institute that specialized in evaluation, research, and technical assistance for K-12 schools and other educational institutions. He serves as lead investigator on national, statewide, and local educational improvement efforts. He specializes in evaluation and technical assistance in the areas of science, mathematics, and environmental education. He has received grants and contracts from the National Science Foundation, U.S. Dept. of Education, Kellogg Foundation, Annenberg Foundation, Michigan Dept. of Education, and various other funding agencies. Currently he serves as PI for the evaluation of the national CPU-PET Materials Development Project, the Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Development Project, the Northern Michigan Mathematics and Science Partnership, and the Great Lakes Water Studies Institute. Publications include various papers, project-specific evaluation reports, and instruments for use in program evaluation. | |
Faculty: |
Dr. Heather Petcovic Assistant Professor of Geological Sciences Ph.D. Oregon State University Phone: (269) 387-5488 - Geosciences Phone: (269) 387-5380 - MISE http://homepages.wmich.edu/~hpetcovic/ |
Dr. Petcovic has a joint appointment in the Department of Geosciences and the Mallinson Institute for Science Education. Her geology research focuses on a combined filed, analytical, and numerical modeling approach to understand how dikes fed lava flows of the Columbia River flood basalts, which include the Earth's largest lava flows. Her science education research focuses on the role of field experience in geoscience education, alternative conceptions in earth sciences, and the role of informal education programs in promoting scientific literacy in the general public, enhancing formal K-12 learning, and encouraging underrepresented students to pursue careers in the sciences. | |
Faculty:  | Dr. David W. Rudge Associate Professor of Biological Sciences BS, Duke University MS, MA, Ph.D. University of Pittsburgh Office: 3134 Wood Hall Phone: (269) 387-2779 http://homepages.wmich.edu/~rudged/ |
| Dr. Rudge has a joint appointment in the Department of Biological Sciences and the Mallinson Institute for Science Education. Dr. Rudge researches how the history and philosophy of science (particularly evolutionary biology) can be used to inform the teaching of science. He is currently writing a book on H.B.D. Kettlewell's famous experiments on industrial melanism, with special attention to how the episode has been portrayed in science textbooks. He is also project director of an NSF grant project to improve middle school science teaching. Dr. Rudge is the course supervisor forBIOS 1700 Life Science for Elementary Educators I. He also regularly teaches SCI6140 Science: Historical and Philosophical Perspectives. | |
| Faculty: | Dr. David Schuster Associate Professor of Physics B.Sc.(Honns.) University of the Witwatersrand M.Sc., Ph.D. University of Wisconsin--Madison Office: 3147 Wood Hall Phone: (269) 387-5844 http://homepages.wmich.edu/~dschuste/ |
| Dr. Schuster has a joint appointment in the Physics Department and the Mallinson Institute for Science Education. His specialization is physics education, while his original field was nuclear physics. Particular interests include cognition (conceptual understanding and problem-solving), assessment, teaching and learning in science, educational design, curriculum development, epistemology and inquiry. He teaches graduate courses in science education and is developing and teaching inquiry-based undergraduate physics for prospective teachers. Prior to joining WMU he was in the physics department at the University of Natal, Durban, South Africa, and was also National Moderator for all provincial matriculation examinations in physics. In recent years he was also Chief Examiner for physics for the International Baccalaureate. | |
Faculty:  | Renee` Schwartz Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Ph.D. Oregon State University M.S. Wake Forest University B.S. Purdue University Office: 3139 Wood Hall Phone: (269) 387-5660 http://homepages.wmich.edu/~rschwart/ |
| Renee` Schwartz has a joint appointment in the Department of Biological Sciences and the Mallinson Institute for Science Education. Her research focuses primarily on developments in learning and teaching of 'nature of science' and scientific inquiry. One aspect of this work investigates effective means to utilize authentic scientific experiences to enhance learners' epistemological views of science. This research also explores contextual influences and effective instructional practices for developing conceptual knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge for 'nature of science' and scientific inquiry within science classrooms and authentic settings. | |
Faculty:  | Dr. Joseph P. Stoltman Distinguished Professor of Geography and Science Education BA, Central Washington State Ph.D., University of Georgia Phone: (269) 387-3407 Fax: (269) 387-3442 |
| Dr. Stoltman has a joint appointment in the Geography Department and the Mallinson Institute for Science Education. Dr. Stoltman has been a faculty member since 1971 in the Department of Geography, Physical Sciences Division, College of Arts and Sciences. His research has focused on the teaching and learning of geography, global change education, and the spatial analysis of educational reform in Michigan. He is a member of AAAS, NSTA, NCGE, AAG, SSEC, and MCSS, professional societies devoted to improving scientific knowledge and teaching in the earth and social sciences. He serves as co-coordinator of the Michigan Geographic Alliance, which has as its objective the enhancement of geographic literacy in Michigan among students and young adults. | |
| Staff: |
Deb Stoyanoff Office Coordinator Office: 3225 (3241) Wood Hall Phone: (269) 387-5398 |
| Deb has been with WMU since 1995 and with the Institute since September, 2001. |
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Staff: | William Merrow Coordinator of Laboratories BS, Calvin College MS, Western Michigan University Office: 3141 Wood Hall Phone: (269) 387-2715 |
| Bill has been with WMU since 1974 and with the Institute since 1997. | |
