UMCES Project team (in alphabetical order)
Dr. Helen Bailey
Helen is an Associate Research Professor at UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory and performs research on the spatial and movement ecology of marine mammals, sea turtles, and fish. She is also interested in the impact of pollution on the environment and marine species. She applies her research to conservation and citizen science through multiple projects, including PlasticWatch and Chesapeake DolphinWatch. Helen is the team leader of the Wave of Plastic project, conceived the idea, and is responsible for managing the project.
Nicole Barbour
Nicole is a PhD candidate at UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory and studies the migration ecology and conservation of sea turtles. She applies this work to citizen science and science education initiatives. Nicole is the lead Graduate Assistant on the Wave of Plastic project and develops the project’s website and social media. She also played a significant role in the composition and editing of the Wave of Plastic curriculum.
Sarah Brzezinski
Sarah is the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory Outreach Coordinator and specializes in science communications and public relations, with a goal of increasing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education and engagement. On the Wave of Plastic project, Sarah assisted with the development of the initial project idea and funding proposal, and helped lead lesson plan development and teacher professional development workshops. She supports social media efforts for Wave of Plastic and manages media relations and outreach efforts.
Dr. Amy E. Green
Amy is a research associate and the Assistant Director for the Center for Science and Technology Education at the University of Maryland, College Park. Amy is a former classroom teacher and has extensive experience in teacher professional learning, curriculum design, and education outreach.
Dr. Michael Gonsior
Michael is an UMCES Associate Professor and performs research on aquatic biogeochemistry. He was a featured scientist in the award-winning documentary, “A Plastic Ocean”.
Jenna B. Linhart
Jenna is a Faculty Research Assistant and Science Education Specialist at the UMCES Appalachian Laboratory. She has a background in environmental science and conservation biology. Her areas of expertise include public engagement with science, conservation, and sustainability; and environmental science education research and program design for K-gray audiences. On the Wave of Plastic project, Jenna assisted with the development of the project idea and proposal, helped lead lesson plan development and teacher professional development workshops, conducts project evaluation and supports social media efforts for Wave of Plastic.
Dr. Carys Mitchelmore
Carys is a Professor at the UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory and conducts research on the detection and environmental impact of pollutants on aquatic organisms.
Dr. Cat Stylinski
Cat is research faculty at the UMCES Appalachian Laboratory. She has over 18 years of experience in design, research, and evaluation of environmental and science education experiences for public and K-12 audiences. Her research centers on public engagement in science and environmental stewardship and she has led education programming for citizen science projects and educators.
Jamie Testa
Jamie is a research assistant at the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory. Jamie is the project coordinator for Chesapeake DolphinWatch, an UMCES-based community science project tracking distribution of bottlenose dolphins in Chesapeake Bay. Jamie became the project coordinator for the Wave of Plastic project in 2019. Jamie serves as a liaison between the teachers and middle school science supervisors at Calvert County & St. Mary’s County Public Schools and UMCES team members on professional development, unit implementation, and the Wave of Plastic website.
Wave of Plastic Partners:
Wave of Plastic is a partnership between the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Calvert County Public Schools , and St. Mary’s County Public Schools.
Wave of Plastic Funding Sources:
Funding support was provided by the NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET).
Acknowledgments:
The Wave of Plastic Team would like to thank the following people for their contributions to the development, pilot, and implementation of this unit:
Calvert County Public Schools - Janel McPhillips (Supervisor of Science), Carol Bosarge, Alan Cook, Chelsea Gallihugh, Sarah Legge, Elizabeth Megonigal, and Kristin Skiados.
St. Mary’s County Public Schools - Jason Hayes (Supervisor of Science), Nennah Byle, Mary Beth Hamm, Amber Keesee, Kari Koch, Andrea Kuehne, and Lee Musolino.