Region 3 Summit

Ajith Kaduwela

Ajith is a Professional Research Scientist at the Air Quality Research Center of the University of California-Davis.  He holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry/Mathematics and a Ph.D. in Chemical Physics.  His research interests are generally in the broad subject area of atmospheric chemistry and physics.  One of his current research interests relevant to the Phenomena Summit is the use of low-cost sensors for air quality measurements.  He promotes STEM education through indoor/outdoor air quality measurements at schools.  Ajith believes that science teachers are the first-line of scientists especially in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities and community scientists should organize around local schools.  High on his Bucket List is building a California-wide school-based air-quality measurement network using low-cost sensors.

Anya Pierre

Anya Pierre is a 6th grade teacher at River Oaks Elementary in Galt, California. She is in her fifth year teaching and her fourth year as an NGSS early implementer. She graduated from Sonoma State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies and then received her multi subject teaching credential from Sacramento State University. Anya's passion for science and environmental education came from a young age when she got to experience outdoor education as a student. As an educator Anya strives to engage her sixth graders in critical thinking and 21st century skills.

Carson Jeffres

Dr. Carson Jeffres is a research ecologist with the UC Davis Center for Watershed Science specializing in better understanding how physical processes and management actions influence aquatic food webs and fish habitat.  He has been studying the physical processes and ecology of floodplains in California’s Central Valley for 16 years. In addition to projects in the Central Valley, he has been studying spring-fed systems in the southern Cascades.  One of the themes of his research is using rigorous scientific research to help guide management questions.

Deb Young

Deborah Young has inspired students at Foothill High School, Sacramento, CA, as a Chemistry, Biology, Earth science and AP Environmental Science teacher for the past 19 years. She became a teacher following a career as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist for Roche Biomedical Labs. Deborah was recruited by a close science teacher/friend to become a teacher of science, who understands what scientists do in their particular fields. She completed a Masters in Education and is currently the Science Department chair.  As a teacher/ biochemist and integrated science advocate, NGSS leadership team member for Twin Rivers Unified School District, Deborah has embraced the interconnections between grade levels, content areas, engineering, and environmental concerns.

Diana Brooks

Diana studied at UC Davis and then received her Bachelor of Arts in Biological Science with a concentration in zoology and pre-med from CSU, Sacramento and her Master of Arts in Secondary Education, concentrating in science. Prior to teaching high school, she worked as an Environmental Toxicologist for over 20 years specializing in U.S EPA Superfund programs, Navy, Air Force BRAC, Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Engineering and Consulting Firm programs. Diana has collaborated with SMUD, writing curriculum for the Solar Sunflower program, the SB70 grant, teaming with Beutler Air to create curriculum emphasizing their Solar panel program. As an environmental Toxicologist, Diana witnessed the detrimental effects that man has on the environment and the long term effects it has on the world in general, and she feels it is imperative the environmental literacy becomes an integral component of our children’s education from kindergarten to twelve grade.

Elaine Trull

Emily Wells

Emily received her bachelor of arts in Environmental Studies and Biology from University of California- Santa Cruz. After graduating she worked as a seasonal research technician and gained experience in botany, resource management, and wildlife research. She then received her master of science in Range and Wildlife Management from Texas A&M Kingsville through the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute. Her thesis research including investigating winter habitat selection and movement ecology of sandhill cranes along the Texas coast and forecasting habitat suitability using current land change trends. Currently, she is the Conservation Program Manager for Conservation Farms and Ranches on Staten Island, CA. Her current work includes managing agricultural fields to provide the best wintering habitat for the large variety of waterbirds which use the Sacramento Delta. She coordinates research on the island including habitat condition surveys and surveys in the winter for sandhill cranes, large waterbirds, and shorebirds.

Hunter Merritt

Mr. Hunter Merritt is a Social Scientist, Water Resources Planner and Public Involvement Specialist in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Sacramento District. Since 2009, he has focused on flood risk communication, public participation and engagement, and plan formulation for flood risk studies. He is the district’s deputy lead for Silver Jackets programs in California, Nevada and Utah. His primary goal is to increase public awareness of flood exposure through outreach and education, in collaboration with other Federal agencies and state, local, and tribal partners. He is a trainer for all levels of the district’s Leadership Development Program (LDP), and a graduate of the South Pacific Division Regional LDP Level III (2014), where he addressed enterprise-wide issues of Knowledge Management and Knowledge Transfer within USACE. He is also a part-time lecturer in the Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration at California State University Sacramento, where he teaches undergraduate courses in leadership and group development and a graduate course in recreation policy. He is currently an Associate Board member of the American River Natural History Association (ARNHA), which manages the Effie Yeaw Nature Center in Carmichael, California. Mr. Merritt received a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia and a Master of Science in Recreation Administration from California State University Sacramento.

Jeanette Miksits

Jeanette is a current sixth grade math and science teacher at Westlake Charter School who has taught in both primary and middle school.  She received her Bachelors of Arts in Liberal Studies from CSU, Sacramento.  She is a life long learner who is certified in Project Learning Tree, Project Wet, Project Wild, Project Wild Aquatic, and is working toward her California Naturalist certification.  Known for her out-of-the-box thinking, she has integrates hands-on learning on a daily basis in her classroom.  She strives daily to bring in authentic and engaging problems for her middle school students to grapple with.  She has a passion for science notebooks and building curriculum based off real world phenomena.

Kitty Setberg

Kitty currently teaches 5th grade at Greer Elementary School in Galt, CA. She has been teaching for over 20 years. She holds a BA from California State University Sacramento and her multiple subject teaching credential from National University. She has been an NGSS early implementer for Galt Joint Union Elementary School District for the past 4 years. She was the 5th grade Cadre leader at Galt’s NGSS Summer Institute 2018. She will be involved in facilitating the Cosumnes River Floodplain Ecology Institute to develop awareness of environmental water issues in our area. She hopes that her efforts in science education will spark future generations of science lovers.

Lisa Hegdahl

Lisa Hegdahl began teaching in 1991 in the Galt Joint Union Elementary School District (GJUESD). Along with teaching 8th grade science, Lisa is a Core Lead Teacher for the CA NGSS Early Implementer Initiative of which GJUESD is a participant.  She is a Past President of the California Science Teachers Association and served on their Board of Directors from 2011 to 2019. Lisa was one of the 21 members of the Science Curriculum Framework and Evaluation Criteria Committee which advised the writers and editors of the 2016 Science Framework for California Public Schools.  She has also been a Co-Writer and Lead Presenter for the CA NGSS Rollouts.  Lisa received her Bachelor of Science degree and Science Clear Credential from the University of California at Davis. She also has a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential.  Lisa recently started an Environmental Club for students that focuses on service learning and education at the local Cosumnes River Preserve.

Megan White

Megan White has been an educator for nearly 15 years.  She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Liberal Studies and a Master of Arts Degree in Teaching from UC Davis. She started her career in elementary and has been a middle school science teacher in West Sacramento for a decade. She has experience with AVID, Sacramento Area Science Project, and PLTW. She believes authentic phenomena is essential to making meaningful connections to the world now and into the future.

Miranda Tilcock

Miranda was born in Missouri and has been living in California for the last decade or more. She recently graduated with her M.S in ecology at the University of California-Davis and is currently a researcher at the Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis. Her research has been focused on floodplains in the Central Valley of California and to better understand the long term benefits these ephemeral habitats can provide for juvenile fish, such as Chinook Salmon. To better understand these long term benefits, she has helped in the development of an isotopic signature, a chemical fingerprint, that is unique to floodplain habitats and uses fish eye lenses to track floodplain rearing of individuals. When she isn’t looking at fish eyes, she is passionate about science outreach and developing tools to teach students about the amazing floodplains in their backyards.

Nate Manley

Nate Manley grew up in rural northern California in the shadow of active volcanoes and along the banks of the Sacramento River where he developed his lifelong appreciation for landscapes, natural history, and understanding the dynamics of Earth’s structure and constantly shifting topography.  With a background in wilderness guiding, Nate attended Humboldt State University earning his B.S. in geology in 2001 and earned his M.S. in structural geology from Sacramento State in 2007.  Professionally, Nate is a state licensed geologist with experience in environmental work in groundwater contaminant remediation and geotechnical engineering with an emphasis on slope stability and rock fall hazard mitigation.  His current interests are in elementary education where he works with students in a pilot program designed to help build observational skills of natural phenomena in the local area.  As a resident of the Sacramento region, Nate has also spent a considerable amount of time learning about the ecology and hydrology of endangered vernal pool habitats and has worked extensively with local conservation groups to help protect these resources and effectively manage new housing development pressures around them.

Nina McGroaty

Nina McGroarty is a 7th grade science teacher at McCaffrey Middle School in Galt. She has been teaching 7th grade science since 1999. The Galt Joint Elementary School District is an NGSS Early Implementer. Nina has been an NGSS Core Lead Teacher since 2013. She has a B.S. in Wildlife Management from Humboldt State University and has worked for Redwood National Park, the Sacramento Science Center, and as a Registered Veterinary Technician prior to becoming a teacher.

Rebecca Mackin

Rebecca Mackin is a science teacher at Encina Preparatory High School in the Arden-Arcade area of Sacramento. Rebecca has taught Anatomy and Physiology, Biology, and SDAIE Biology, and 6th grade Earth Science at Encina. She has been teaching for 5 years and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree In Biological Sciences. Rebecca has been interested in curriculum and instruction development since the beginning of her teaching career, wanting to create rigorous but relevant materials for all students. She is currently a member of the San Juan Unified School Districts NGSS Implementation Team and was a participant of Northwestern University’s Learning While Teaching project in partnership with the UC Davis Model Based Biology (MBER) curriculum.

Sarah Caves

Sarah Caves is a 7th grade science teacher at Stonegate Elementary in West Sacramento.  She has been teaching middle school for 11 years, and has worked with the Sacramento Area Science Project to present at the Science in the River City and Summer Institutes.  She is also a CSTA conference presenter and full time nerd.

Sarah Pitfield

Sarah Pitfield has a bachelors in Biological Sciences from UC Santa Barbara and a Masters in Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology from Purdue University.  She earned her single subject teaching credential from the Impact Intern program.  She has taught both 7th and 8th grade science at Douglass Middle School in Woodland, California and is currently the Science Department Chair.  She enjoys running in the great outdoors and coaches anything from 5k beginning running classes to Full Marathon classes, so the cleaner the air and environment the better.

Sherilyn Raquel

Sher Raquel has been teaching elementary students for 24 years. She currently teaches 1st grade at Lake Canyon School in Galt.  She has a BS in Biology and worked for 10 years as a Wine Chemist before going back to school to get her teaching credential.  She and her husband, a retired biologist, enjoy improving habitat on their cattle ranches in northern California. Her passion for nature has made her an advocate for NGSS and Environmental Literacy.

Tova Hensley

Tova Hensley is a science teacher at Laguna Creek High School in the Elk Grove Unified School District, where she teaches Biology and General Science. She earned her teaching credential and Masters of Education from UC Davis. Her Masters in Education research focused on helping students reflect on their learning to improve outcomes. Tova also earned a Masters of Science in Geology from UC Davis. Her Masters research in Geology focused on understanding relationships among a group of marine invertebrates and tracking changes in their morphology through geologic time. In addition to her high school teaching experience, she has also taught several Geology courses at community colleges in Sacramento.