Project Personnel

   Personnel

   Project Director Dr. Germaine L. Taggart is an Assistant Professor in the College of Education at FHSU. Her duties in the C.L.A.S.S.I.C. project include communicating with school district administration; selecting Advisory Council members and project participants; guiding the participation of the undergraduate student who will be working to support the project; presenting information on pedagogy at workshop and follow-up sessions; administering the grant funds; arranging for facilities; and presenting and publishing nationally to disseminate the lessons learned through this project. Taggart will meet with project staff and the Advisory Council to develop the design then coordinate the project and workshop activities; assign preparation unit examples; decide who will instruct participants for each targeted area; plan for guidance of unit development and field-trial, and plan for support of participant inservice and KATS presentations.

   Taggart has expertise in science and mathematics pedagogy, effective use of cooperative learning and authentic assessment strategies, curriculum development using national and state standards, and in peer-mentoring and clinical supervision. She has been co-principal investigator for several successful grants, including a Texas Instrument Workshop grant, six Southwestern Bell classroom grants, and two NASA NOVA teacher preparation planning grants totaling $170,000, and a National Science Foundation grant for middle school curriculum development. Taggart is the co-principal investigator for an Eisenhower Professional Development grant currently, has lead staff development activities with numerous school districts, has written and published two books and numerous articles, serves on the Kansas Association of Teachers of Science Board, is the Kansas Association of Teachers of Mathematics past-president and National Council of Teachers of Science representative, and Reading Specialist Re-certification Committee member. She is a two-time state Presidential awardee.

   Dr. Paul Adams is an Associate Professor of Physics. He has been a principal investigator for nine teacher enhancement projects. He was awarded the Teacher/Innovator/Scholar of the Year award for 1998-99 at FHSU. In addition to his successful teaching, he has published on science education issues related to technology usage in the classroom and developing inquiry-based and integrated teaching strategies.
Gregory Liggett is the Assistant Director of the Sternberg Museum of Natural History. He is a licensed professional geologist with the State of Kansas. His knowledge of the history of the earth, paleontology and geology and his hands-on instructional style will enhance the knowledge of C.L.A.S.S.I.C. participants in the natural sciences.

   Juliann (Julie) Bliese is a public school teachers at a Red Ribbon school, O’Loughlin Elementary, in Hays, KS. She currently teachers in a K/1 looping classroom, but has extensive experience working with special needs children. She has numerous awards to her credit including a Christa McAuliffe Fellowship, Presidential Awardee in the Teaching of Science, and a Fulbright Fellowship to Japan. Julie teaches using a constructivist approach. She has created many inquiry-based units for her students.

   Travis W. Taggart is a web developer/programmer for Nex-tech in Hays. He developed the web site for the Museum as well as numerous other companies in the area and several departments at the University. He is well-qualified to develop and maintain the site for the C.L.A.S.I.C. project. He is also an accomplished herpetologist with a masters degree from Southeastern Louisiana University in molecular biology. He is the current editor of The Kansas Herpetological Society newsletter and Contemporary Herpetology, and he is the Curator of Herpetology at Sternberg Museum; therefore being amply qualified to teach the reptiles and amphibian component of natural science.

   Mrs. Regi Wieland, FHEDC, will have an advisory role in the project as well as overseeing the responsibilities described in the Statement of Agreement with FHEDC.

   Theresa (Traci) Henning is a school librarian with USD 489 in Hays, Kansas. Traci has completed a master degree in library science. She has a keen interest in supporting instruction with the use of literature and is very skilled at integration strategies.

   Cami Liggett is the Sternberg Museum education coordinator. Cami brings to the C.L.A.S.S.I.C. project expertise in pedagogy, geology, ecology, and knowledge of the resources of the Museum. She coordinates outreach efforts for the Museum and is responsible for the development and ongoing functioning of the Sternberg Discovery Room.