Tampa Bay Wipro Science Education Fellowship Program
Leadership
Below is more information about the leadership team and school district science coordinators for the Tampa Bay Wipro Science Education Fellowship Program.
Leadership Team
Dr. Allan Feldman
Professor of Science and Teacher Education
Email: afeldman@usf.edu
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Allan Feldman is Professor of Science Education at the University of South Florida. For the past 20 years his research has focused on science teacher learning and action research. He is the co-editor of the international journal, Educational Action Research. Recently he has begun to study the ways in which people learn to become science researchers in apprenticeship situations.
Although Dr. Feldman’s science background is physics, most of his current work is in the area of environmental education and global sustainability. He has been PI and co-PI of numerous NSF projects, many of which have been in collaboration with colleagues in the sciences and engineering. In addition to his research activities, he teaches and advises preservice teachers and doctoral students. He taught middle and high school science and math for 17 years before obtaining his doctorate at Stanford University.
Dr. Karl Jung
Assistant Professor of Science Education
Email: karljung@usf.edu
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Karl G. Jung, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Science Education K-8 in the Department of Teaching and Learning. He received his Doctoral degree from the University of Minnesota in Curriculum and Instruction, with an emphasis in STEM Education. Prior to completing his PhD, he was a second-grade teacher.
Dr. Jung's research focuses on examining and understanding how elementary science teachers can support their students in using and developing the academic language needed for talking and writing during science instruction. He also works in the area of coaching, examining the role that coaching partnerships play in how elementary teachers implement science and STEM in their classrooms. Dr. Jung teaches the Elementary Science Methods course in the Science Education program.
Dr. David Rosengrant
Associate Professor, STEM Education
Email: rosengrant@usf.edu
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David Rosengrant joined the USF family in the fall of 2016 when he was hired as the STEM education program coordinator on USF's St. Petersburg campus. Prior to joining USF, he was at Kennesaw State University for nine years.
Dr. Rosengrant brings a wealth of experience in professional development activities as he was on the leadership team for multiple Math Science Partnership projects as well as two Robert Noyce programs from the National Science Foundation. His work on social justice, education technology and physics education research provides additional expertise to our Wipro fellows. He joined this project in the Fall of 2019 and is excited to be working with the fellows across all cohorts.
Nancy Islam
Graduate Assistant
School District Science Coordinators
Larry Plank
Executive Director for K-12 Science Education
Hillsborough County Public Schools
Larry.Plank@sdhc.k12.fl.us
Biography
Larry R. Plank, Ed.S., is the Executive Director for K-12 Science Education for Hillsborough County Public Schools, in Tampa, FL, the 7th largest school district in the United States. Mr. Plank began his post-secondary education at Michigan State University, earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from Florida State University in 1997, and Master’s (Biological Sciences) and Specialist’s degrees (Educational Leadership) from the University of South Florida in 2000 and 2006, respectively.
Mr. Plank currently co-chairs the Tampa Bay STEM Network, one of 89 International STEM Learning Ecosystems supported by the Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM and the Samueli Foundation. He was elected in 2019 as the President of the National Science Education Leadership Association (NSELA) for a three term, ending in 2022. He is a member of both The Florida Aquarium Board of Directors and the Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) Board of Directors in Tampa, FL.
Mr. Plank was recognized as a LEAD STEM Fellow in 2018, and in 2017 testified to the United States Senate Appropriations Committee regarding the importance of braided, intentional funding for STEM education amongst governmental agencies. He was nationally recognized in 2019 and 2014 as one the Top 30 Technologists, Transformers and Trailblazers by the Center for Digital Education. In 2015, the University of South Florida College of Education recognized Mr. Plank as the college’s Partner of the Year, and he received a similar award from the Hillsborough Education Foundation in 2013 for working with partners in the Tampa Bay community.
With a grant portfolio of over 24 projects and totaling over $33 million, Mr. Plank currently directs or serves as senior personnel on six STEM-related educational projects in Tampa Bay area, with current and past funding from the National Science Foundation, NASA, NOAA, the Florida Department of Education and the Helios Education Foundation. Most recent awards include grant efforts funded through the Naval Defense Education Program ($2.93 million) and Florida Department of Education Computer Science ($1.6 million), both focusing upon professional and leadership development for K-12 science teachers and student-centric out of school time programming across the Tampa Bay region.
Mr. Plank has been published in peer-reviewed journals and has presented at a multitude of professional conferences sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), National Science Educational Leadership Association (NSELA), American Educational Research Association (AERA) and STEM Learning Ecosystems.
Lesley Kirkley
Senior Instructional Specialist, K - 6 Science
Pasco County Schools
lwade@pasco.k12.fl.us
Fawnia Schultz
9-12 Science Staff Developer
Pinellas County Schools