Learning Sciences Graduate
Students |
Cohort One |
Stephanie Cunningham Ryan
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Discipline:
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Chemistry |
Entered Program:
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I entered the program before it ever existed because I believed that it would be
the right program for me, whenever it started. |
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Degree(s): |
M.S. (with thesis) in Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Chicago. B.S.
in Chemistry from Saint Mary's College. |
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Hometown: |
Hartford City, IN |
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Professional Goals: |
I would like to work in Assessment and/or Chemistry Education Curriculum
Development. I want to find better ways to teach science to urban students. |
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Hobbies & Interests: |
I am a Notre Dame fan (football and basketball). I also love music, my iPod and
going to concerts! I really enjoy traveling and being near large bodies of
water! |
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Why Learning Sciences? |
I really like UIC's LS program because it is so different from the others out
there. Rather than just talking about how people learn, we talk about how they
learn different disciplines. It also seemed to fit into my interests perfectly,
teaching and chemistry. |
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Contact Information: |
s.a.cunningham@gmail.com
312-996-4606
4138 SES |
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Mike Dianovsky
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Discipline:
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Chemistry |
Entered Program:
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August, 2006 |
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Degree(s): |
Bachelors of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign.
Masters is Science in Chemistry from the University of
Illinois at Chicago.
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Hometown: |
Hanover Park, IL |
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Professional Goals: |
I would like to work either at a community college teaching chemistry or work
for the Regional Education Laboratories (REL) on science educaiton projects. |
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Hobbies & Interests: |
I am quite the movie lover. I also enjoy spending time with my pets and
volunteering at local animal shelters. |
|
Why Learning Sciences? |
Interested in how students learn chemistry and understanding various teaching
methods used to teach students chemistry. |
|
Contact Information: |
dianovsk@uic.edu
312-996-4606
4138 SES |
|
Kathleen Pitvorec
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Discipline:
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Mathematics Education |
Entered Program:
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Fall 2007 |
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Degree(s): |
MST from the University of Chicago, 2001.
B.S., Anthropology, University of Chicago, 1987. |
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Hometown: |
Downers Grove, IL. |
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Professional Goals: |
To connect research about teaching and teachers. |
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Hobbies & Interests: |
Skiing; scuba diving; travel; biking; great books. |
| Why
Learning Sciences? |
The emphasis on learning in communities; the role of semiotic systems; and
situated learning. |
|
Contact Information: |
kapitvor@uic.edu
312-996-9874
3168 SES |
Cohort Three |
Catherine (Cathy) Kaduk
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Discipline:
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Mathematics Education |
Entered Program:
|
Fall 2008 |
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Degree(s): |
C.A.S. Mathematics Ed. @ National Louis Univ.; M.S. Ed. Psychology. @ Northern
Illinois Univ.; B.S. in Elementary Education @ Northwestern Univ. (Evanston, IL) |
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Hometown: |
Wauwatosa, WI |
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Professional Goals: |
I hope to contribute to understanding and implementing how assessment can be used to improve students’ thinking skills, problem-solving, & conceptual understanding, especially in mathematics. |
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Hobbies & Interests: |
I like to sew, draw and go to museums; to be with family especially. |
|
Why Learning Sciences? |
Reading Jim Pellegrino’s work on knowing what students know, meeting great faculty, valuing the present research projects, and sensing the potential to improve connections between researchers & practitioners are some of my reasons for joining this Learning Sciences community. |
|
Contact Information: |
ckaduk2@uic.edu
312-996-5258
2064 BSB |
|
Wenjuan Li
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Discipline:
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Mathematics |
Entered Program:
|
Fall 2008 |
|
Degree(s): |
BS in Mathematics and MS in Curriculum and Instruction. |
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Hometown: |
Hezhou, Guangxi, China |
|
Professional Goals: |
To be a researcher in mathematics education. |
|
Hobbies & Interests: |
swimming, music, travel. |
|
Why Learning Sciences? |
Learning sceinces is an interdisciplinary field. It provides me with a broad foundation and strong motivation to do my research. |
|
Contact Information: |
liwenjuan1023@gmail.com |
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Sara Marchlewicz
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Discipline:
|
Chemistry |
Entered Program:
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I started taking classes in Spring of 2008 but I will officially be in the
program in the Fall of 2008 |
|
Degree(s): |
M.S. Chemistry from UIC;
B.S. Biochemistry from Oakland University |
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Hometown: |
Bay City, MI |
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Professional Goals: |
I came to grad school to find out what I want to do with my life. After being in
many different settings, I have found my passion of teaching chemistry at a
community college and developing curriculum. |
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Hobbies & Interests: |
I love being outdoors and doing anything active. I like playing beach
volleyball, biking, working out, etc. I enjoy watching sports - Chicago Cubs and
Detroit Pistons. I also love puzzles, reading for fun, and hanging out with
friends. |
|
Why Learning Sciences? |
I like that we focus on researching how students learn rather than how teachers
teach. Understanding how students learn can be transferred to any type of
setting. |
|
Contact Information: |
smarch2@uic.edu
312-996-4606
4138 SES |
|
Kim Richards
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Discipline:
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Discipline, Language, Literacy, and Culture. |
Entered Program:
|
Fall 2008 |
|
Degree(s): |
BA in Sociology from UIC.
Masters of Education from DePaul University.
|
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Hometown: |
Skokie, IL |
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Professional Goals: |
To work within both academia and 6-12 grade schools to collaborate and design
digital assessments & learning environments.
|
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Hobbies & Interests: |
Listen to music; watch movies; ride my bike; laugh; improv; yoga.
|
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Why Learning Sciences? |
I joined Learning Sciences in order to learn how to design socially just
assessments that are focused on multiliteracies. The goal is to collaborate with
schools and other educational program communities to design locally situated,
formative assessments. |
|
Contact Information: |
kricha4@uic.edu
312-355-1323
2040 BSB |
Cohort Four |
Matthew Lira
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Discipline:
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Biology |
Entered Program:
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Fall 2009 |
|
Degree(s): |
MA, Northwestern University: Learning Sciences BS, Ball State University:
Biology |
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Hometown: |
Griffith, IN |
|
Professional Goals: |
Informal/formal learning environment designer Educational Researcher. |
|
Hobbies & Interests: |
Avocational:
Music (Guitar/Singing/Songwriting)
Weightlifting/Nutrition
MMA
Diablo III (eagerly awaiting its arrival)
Vocational:
Natural Sciences
Evolutionary Cognitive Neuroscience
Child Development
Cognitive Development
Epistemology
Technology use & Artifact Design |
|
Why Learning Sciences? |
My interests in the learning sciences are fairly traditional and are largely the
result of Piagetian influences. Like Piaget, I am first and foremost a
biologist. My current interests originated from previous interests in human
origins and human uniqueness. My immigration to the behavioral sciences is the
result of two major experiences in my professional life. First, working in
neuroscience, I conducted cellular imaging of a phenomenon known as synapse
elimination, a cellular process whereby the nervous system prunes established
neuronal connections in a largely experience-dependent fashion. For me,
experience-dependent synapse elimination highlighted how more complex forms of
learning might manifest themselves in the nervous system and motivated me to
understand learning processes at multiple levels of organization. Second,
working as a physiology instructor, I began to see the difficulties in creating
authentic, engaging, and meaningful learning environments in the context of
science classrooms. My experience as an instructor highlighted the mismatch
between how science is practiced in the lab and how science is practiced in the
classroom. I then became motivated to better understand the development of
science curriculum and instruction. Today, I want understand the cognitive
processes that underpin the development of scientific reasoning and internal
representations as they occur vis-a-vis external representations commonly found
in science instructional materials.
|
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Contact Information: |
melira42@gmail.com |
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Chandan Dasgupta
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Discipline:
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Computer Science |
Entered Program:
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Fall 2009 |
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Degree(s): |
M.S (Human-Computer Interaction) from Georgia Tech;
B.E (Computer Science
and Engineering, India) |
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Hometown: |
New Delhi, India |
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Professional Goals: |
After completing my Ph.D., I am interested in seeking an academic position or
research appointment that encourages inter-disciplinary research in a wide range
of fields and departments, such as education, Human-Centered Computing, learning
sciences and educational psychology. |
|
Hobbies & Interests: |
Photography, Blogging, Travelling, Teaching underprivileged children, Reading |
|
Why Learning Sciences? |
My interest in the area of Learning Sciences stems from my dual passion for
helping children learn and making education accessible to under-served
communities. |
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Contact Information: |
cdasgu2@uic.edu
http://ltg.evl.uic.edu/chandan |
|
Jackie Popp
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Discipline:
|
Literacy |
Entered Program:
|
Fall 2009 |
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Degree(s): |
BA in Psychology and Education, University of St. Thomas |
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Hometown: |
St. Cloud, MN |
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Professional Goals: |
I would like to teach in-service and pre-service teachers at a college or
university while continuing to do research. |
|
Hobbies & Interests: |
I am passionate about photography, especially trying to capture emotion in
people and animals. I am very active and enjoy sports such as volleyball,
basketball, and swimming. My favorite social pastime is going out to eat with
friends; I love good food, dark beer, interesting conversation, and trying new
restaurants. |
|
Why Learning Sciences? |
I’m curious about all facets of learning, from learning to play a sport to
making sense of symbolic representations to how our emotions (self-efficacy,
anxiety, emotional events) can impact learning. But since it’s more practical to
focus on one area, I gravitate toward literacy learning. Some of my current
interests in this domain include reading comprehension and emergent language.
The LS program at UIC is a great fit for me because of the flexibility of the
program and the diversity of perspectives among students and staff. |
|
Contact Information: |
jpopp4@uic.edu
http://ltg.evl.uic.edu/chandan |
|
Jessica Roberts
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Discipline:
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Social science/informal learning environments |
Entered Program:
|
Fall 2009 |
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Degree(s): |
BS in Theatre Lighting Design, Northwestern University |
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Hometown: |
Quincy, IL |
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Professional Goals: |
I hope to work in (by which I mean run) a museum education department or some other informal/non-traditional learning environment. |
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Hobbies & Interests: |
I love running, watching football, camping/hiking/canoeing, road trips or really any travel, cheesy movies and music, and nerding out with my friends (preferably over a bourbon or Guinness) |
|
Why Learning Sciences? |
I found Learning Sciences by asking the woman with the job I want how she got there. Once she pointed me to the program I immediately saw it was a great fit for me. I had been looking for a program with an interdisciplinary focus and just hadn't been able to find anything that matched my interests. Finding LS in general and UIC in particular was one of those great "AHA!" moments. |
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Contact Information: |
jrober31@uic.edu |
|
Emma Hospelhorn
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Discipline:
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Music and Literature
|
Entered Program:
|
Fall 2009 |
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Degree(s): |
B.A. in English, Columbia University; B.M. in Flute Performance, CUNY Queens College
|
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Hometown: |
Chicago, IL
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Professional Goals: |
|
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Hobbies & Interests: |
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Why Learning Sciences? |
I have always been fascinated by the ways in which people understand stories as they are told through music, literature, and art, as well as the more practical aspects of music and literacy learning. UIC's Learning Sciences program is great because its interdisciplinary nature allows me to explore all of these things. |
|
Contact Information: |
ehospe2@uic.edu |
|
José W. Meléndez
|
Discipline:
|
Urban Planning & Policy
Concentration: Learning in community development
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Entered Program:
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I first took Learning Sciences 512 in the spring of 2007, and was admitted into the program in Fall 2009 |
|
Degree(s): |
Oberlin, BA, History/Slavic Studies, Modern Dance/Choreography UIC, M.Ed., Educational Studies in Instructional Leadership,
Concentration: Curriculum Studies outside school settings.
|
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Hometown: |
Santa Ana, El Salvador, Raised in New York City
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Professional Goals: |
My career goals, like much about me, are not linear. From being an executive director of a community based organization, to consulting work on organizational development, I can see myself involved in a vast array of labors that are in critical need of a perspective that includes the current demographic shifts of U.S. society. My vast program development expertise lends itself to being combined with theoretical and practical approaches to learning and teaching in an organizational setting. Without a doubt, my facilitating and training passion, which combines my dance/choreography background with a critical pedagogical methodology to teaching, allows me to approach topical issues on race, class, and sexual orientation with a comfort that invites participants to challenge themselves and view things from a different perspective. Finally, I could see myself as a professor in the right kind of institution. One where teaching students is prized over publications. Finally, working for a foundation or a think tank would be invaluable. At the heart of it all is my commitment to social justice. |
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Hobbies & Interests: |
I consider myself queer from a cultural orientation perspective; as such I enjoy turning things upside down/inside out and stepping outside the box. I am a long time runner; enjoy sunbathing, travel, throughout the states and around the globe, experiencing different cultures, people and ways of being. I have studied modern dance and love the theater and arts. Reading the New York Times with my morning coffee is a weekend tradition. Museums are a great cultural asset to any worthwhile destination; some of my favorites are MOMA, Centre Pompidou, The MALBA, MAM, and the Salvador Dali Museum. I have a deep appreciation of the human body and all its sensuality, hence I enjoy sports: college wrestling, March Madness, big Jets fan and the Olympics. Finally, I am a political junkie and enjoy riding my motorcycle when the weather is nice enough. |
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Why Learning Sciences? |
Throughout my professional experience, I have been trained and mentored using Paolo Freire’s and Albert Bandura’s contributions to critical pedagogy and social cognitive theory respectfully, as well as the knowledge of one’s true self. During my Master’s degree studies, the practical theoretical foundations of Joseph J. Schwab also become instrumental in looking at how learning becomes impaired when pedagogy becomes too theoretical. As such, Schwab’s addresses how policy decisions and organizational theory affect learning. Schwab’s analysis of how policies originate and their affect on organizations involves the dialogical, dialectical and deliberate; all emphasized as core requirements for critical inquiry to occur. Thus, I am interested in how deliberate inquiry (Schwab) and Critical Pedagogy (Freire), come together in urban policy and planning to create a synergy of community development as a learning enterprise. This analysis aims implicitly to design learning environments of adult participatory/popular education, designing a community of practice where the facilitator acts as a means to give voice to the knowledge that already exist within and create praxis. Thus, I seek to understand and build on Jürgen Habermas communicative action theory as a process of interpersonal, socio-cultural and practical critical exploration in urban planning & policy and community development. Finally, my approach to learning is centered around Lev Vygotsky’s work, specifically activity theory and sociocultural theory. |
|
Contact Information: |
Jmelen5@uic.edu |
|
Dave Becker
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Discipline:
|
Museum Education; Conservation Psychology
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Entered Program:
|
Fall 2009 |
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Degree(s): |
B.A. Humaities & Psychology. Currently work as the Senior Manager of Learning Experiences for the Chicago Zoological Society; previous museum experience as Lead Exhibit Developer for DuPage Children's Museum, and additional professional experience as a Social Worker
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Hometown: |
Adrian, Mi
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Professional Goals: |
I am interested in research, program development, and conceptual design development in non-formal learning environments such as zoos, museums, aquariums, as well as other public spaces where informal learning occurs for children, youth, families, and communities. |
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Hobbies & Interests: |
Friends and family, visiting museums and nature centers, really dark beer, jogging from time to time with a marathon thrown in for good measure, and a bit of a world religion geek and active unitarian universalist |
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Why Learning Sciences? |
I really see learning as a fundamental part of human development that continues througout our lives and in many contexts. Learning Sciences is interested in the full range of learning experiences and learning environments- individual and public, formal and informal, school, home, museums, work. Learning Sciences isn't just about understanding learning though, it's about creating new opportunities and new environments; it's about enacting change. |
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Contact Information: |
dbecke4@uic.edu |
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