Floyd Dorsey, MEd

Master Teacher
972-883-2417
FN 3.410B
floyd.dorsey@utdallas.edu

• MEd in Administration, Lamar University
• BS in Education, East Central University
• Teaching Certifications in:
  • Principal EC-12, Texas
  • Secondary Mathematics 6-12, Texas
  • Physical Education PK-12, Texas
  • Health Education 6-12, Texas
  • Mathematics 8-12, Oklahoma
  • Health & Physical Education K-12, Oklahoma
  • Computer Science 8-12, Oklahoma

Denise Gregory, MM

Master Teacher
972-883-6444
FN 3.308L
denise.gregory@utddallas.edu

• MM in Mathematics, University of Tennessee
• BS in Mathematics, Sam Houston State University,
• Teaching Certifications:
  • Secondary Mathematics 6-12
  • Secondary Computer Information Systems 6-12

Dr. Vinita Hajeri

Associate Professor of Instruction
972-883-6482
FN 3.308E
vxh151030@utdallas.edu
UTD Profile Page

• PhD in Molecular Biology, University of North Texas
• MS in Botany, University of Mumbai

Dr. Hajeri’s research focuses on utilizing genetic model organisms (flatworms, fruit flies, nematodes, and zebrafish) as robust teaching tools to make life science teaching and learning accessible to diverse learners from grades 6-12. Dr. Hajeri is actively involved in designing and offering effective model-organism(s) based professional development programs to secondary science teachers. She has designed and directs the Zebrafish Summer Institute which recruits and engages secondary science teachers from all across the state of Texas to bring real-world science investigations to the classroom. Dr. Hajeri also actively collaborates with the STARS program at UT Southwestern to offer teacher in-service professional development.

Emily Hennessey, MAT

Associate Professor of Instruction
972-883-4008
FN 3.218B
ehennessy@utdallas.edu

• MAT in Science Education, UT Dallas
• BA in Elementary Education, University of Dallas
• Teaching Certifications in:
  • Elementary 1-8
  • Elementary English 1-8

Pam Kirkland, MEd

Master Teacher – Induction Specialist
972-883-4318
FN 3.308D
pam.kirkland@utdallas.edu

• MEd in Administration, Concordia University Texas
• BA in Microbiology, UT Austin
• Teaching Certifications in:
  • Principal Grades EC-12
  • Secondary Biology Grades 6-12
  • Secondary Life-Earth Science Grades 6-12
  • English as a Second Language Supplemental
  • Social Emotional/Character Development

Enhancing K-16 STEM education through focusing on the development of the whole student. Supporting K-12 pre-service and current UTeach Dallas Alumni through continual professional development in a variety of areas such as differentiated instruction, awareness of language acquisition development and ESL support in STEM classes, and creating a supportive environment through implementing social emotional skill development.

Amin Lalani, MA

Master Teacher
972-883-6451
FN 3.308F
amin.lalani@utdallas.edu

• MA in Mathematics, UT Austin
• BS in Mathematics, UT Tyler
• Teaching certifications in:
  • Mathematics Grades 8-12
  • Computer Science 8-12

Best practices in mathematics and implementation of technology to explore math concepts.

Dr. Jim McConnell

Master Teacher
972-883-2481
FN 3.308B
james.mcconnell@utdallas.edu

• EdD in Supervision, Curriculum and Instruction, TAMU Commerce
• MS in Psychology, TAMU Commerce
• BS in Mathematics, University of Texas at Arlington
• Teaching Certifications in:
  • Superintendent, Lifetime, PreK-12
  • Mid-Management, Lifetime, PreK-12
  • Physics 6-12,
  • Mathematics 6-12,
  • Psychology 6-12

Dr. Stephanie Taylor

Associate Professor of Instruction
972-883-6044
FN 3.308C
stephaniem.taylor@utdallas.edu

• PhD in Biochemistry, University of Texas at Austin
• BS in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, UT Dallas

It has been shown over and over that a research experience is beneficial. It is good for undergraduates in learning about the scientific process. It helps teachers orient their lessons to the real world and makes science more tangible instead of just an exercise. But what is it in the experience that makes the connection? We investigate the process of empowering undergraduates to ask their own questions, design and carry out their own experiments to demonstrate that a research lab may not be the only place a true research experience can be gained. Biochemistry: Protein synthesis pathways in archaea, and astrobiology (with Dr. Urquhart)

Dr. M. Kate York

Master Teacher
972-883-2498
FN 3.410A
Kate.York@utdallas.edu

• PhD in Curriculum and Instruction in Science Education, Texas Tech University
• MEd Educational Leadership and Policy Studies K-16, UT Arlington
• BA Biology, Southwestern University
• Teaching Certifications in:
  • Principal EC-12;
  • Secondary Science 8-12
  • Life Science 8-12;
  • English Language Arts and Reading 8-12
  • Dance 6-12

My current research interests focus on project-based learning (PBL), 21st-century skills development, and global collaborative education experiences in both K-12 and preservice teacher education contexts.

Dr. John G. Burr

Associate Professor, Associate Head Department of Biological Sciences
972 882-2508
FN 3.110
burr@utdallas.edu
Faculty Profile Page

• PhD in Molecular Biology, UC Berkeley
• BS in Chemistry, UC Riverside

Research focus: Molecular and cell biology of cancer.

Dr. Gregg R. Dieckmann

Associate Professor, Associate Head Department of Chemistry
972-883-2903
BE 2.324
dieckgr@utdallas.edu
Faculty Profile Page

• PhD in Chemistry, University of Michigan
• MS in Chemistry, University of Michigan
• BA in Chemistry, DePauw University
• BA in Computer Science, DePauw University

Research focus: The overall theme of the research in my lab at UTD has been to use protein design, engineering and modified solid phase peptide synthetic methodologies to create novel biopolymers, novel bio/nano hybrid materials, and useful models for metalloproteins. The current primary research foci include the following: (1) Bioadhesives — the design of protein-based biopolymers that display bioadhesive properties in aqueous environments—how do various organisms create materials that are used to adhere to foreign and varied surfaces, and do so in a challenging water medium? (2) Bionanotechnology — the design of protein motifs that generate noncovalent functionalization of the surface of carbon nanotubes and other nanomaterials — can the biopolymers be used to provide new and desirable properties?

Dr. Matthew Goeckner

Professor, Associate Dean of Natural Sciences & Mathematics
972 883-2437
RL 3.406
goeckner@utdallas.edu
Faculty Profile Page
UTD Profile Page

• PhD in Plasma Physics, University of Iowa
• MS in Physics, University of California – Los Angeles
• BS in Physics, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
• BS in Mathematics, Southern Illinois University

Research focus: In the general area of science education, I am very interested in transfer student success.

Jason Brogden, MAT

Lecturer I
Arts and Humanities
972-883-2496
jason.brogden@utdallas.edu

• MAT, UT Dallas

Dr. Pamela Gossin

Professor, History of Science/ Literary Studies in School of Arts and Humanities
972-883-2071
JO 5.404
psgossin@utdallas.edu
Faculty Profile Page

History of science and interdisciplinary literature and science studies (especially 17th through 20th centuries); women and science; literature and the environment, including nature writing; scientific biography and autobiography; popularization of science and public education in science and technology; science poetry; interrelations of astronomy, cosmology and literature; Japanese anime and manga; Great Plains literature and culture; “great books” of world cultures.

Dr. Joseph M. Izen

Professor, Department of Physics
972-546-2540
PHY 1.612
je@utdallas.edu
Faculty Profile Page

• PhD in Physics, Harvard University
• MA in Physics, Harvard University
• BS in Physics and Math, The Cooper Union

Research focus: Proton collisions produced at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the high energy frontier of elementary particle physics. I collaborate on the ATLAS experiment which studies the Higgs boson and which searches dark matter, new forces that affect dark matter, microblack holes, and whatever surprises await in collisions that reproduce conditions common during the first billionth of a second following the Big Bang. I analyze data from the BaBar experiment that has finished collecting data from the annihilation of electrons and positrons with the PEP-II storage ring at SLAC.

Dr. Susan E. Minkoff

Professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences
(972) 883-6695
FO 2.402B
sminkoff@utdallas.edu
Faculty Profile Page

• PhD in Computational and Applied Math, Rice University
• MA in Computational and Applied Math, Rice University
• BS in Mathematics and Computer Science, Duke University

Research focus: Applied mathematics, specifically numerical analysis and scientific computing. Applications modeled include geoscience and optics.

Dr. Robert J. Stern

Professor, Department of Geosciences
972-883-2442
ROC 1.201
rjstern@utdallas.edu
Faculty Profile Page

PhD in Earth Sciences, UC San Diego

Dr. Robert J. Stern is professor of geosciences at The University of Texas at Dallas. Stern teaches undergraduate courses in petrology and graduate courses in tectonics and also serves as the graduate advisor and head of the Global Magmatic and Tectonic Laboratory. He and his students and colleagues have studied the geology of the Arabian-Nubian Shield since 1977, including work in Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel; this research can be found on Google Scholar and on ResearchGate. He is editor-in-chief of International Geology Review.

Dr. Julie Sutton

Associate Professor of Instruction, Department of Mathematical Sciences
972-883-3843
FN 3.308A
jxs158030@utdallas.edu 

• PhD in Mathematics, University of Texas at Arlington
• MS in Mathematics, UT Arlington
• BS in Mathematics, UT Arlington

Research focus: Visualization, problem-solving, group learning and software-aided learning.

Dr. John Zweck

Professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences
972-883-6699
FO 3.704J
zweck@utdallas.edu
Faculty Profile Page

Research focus: Computational and applied mathematics with applications to engineering systems and devices, especially in optics and photonics.

Wesley Baker

Part-time Lecturer
972-883-2496
FN 3.218
wab090020@utdallas.edu

Research focus: The history of science in science education, science and religion.

Dr. Tara Urbanski

Lecturer
972-883-4008
tlg101020@utdallas.edu

• PhD in Geosciences, UT Dallas
• MS in Geosciences, UT Dallas
• MS in Environmental Science,  University of North Texas
• BA in Geography, Minors: Geology, Spanish, University of North Texas

Dr. Fred Fifer

972-883-2496
fifer@flash.net

• PhD, Peabody College/Vanderbilt University
• MS in Curriculum instruction/Science Education, East Texas State University
• BS in Chemistry, Earth Science, Stephen F. Austin State University
• Teaching certificates in:
  • Science 7-12

Dr. Cynthia Ledbetter

972-886-9324
ledbetter@utdallas.edu

• PhD in Curriculum & Instruction (Science), Texas A&M University
• MAT in Science Education, UT Dallas
• BS in Biology, UT Arlington
• Teaching Certifications in:
  • Secondary Biology, Life
  • Secondary English, Life
  • Secondary Science Composite, Life

Research focus for SME: Learning environments in elementary and secondary international schools.

Dr. Lynn A. Melton

972-883-2913
FN 3.308A
melton@utdallas.edu
Faculty Profile Page
UTD Profile Page

• PhD in Chemistry, Harvard University
• MA in Chemistry, Harvard University
• BS in Chemistry, Caltech

Research focus for SME: The use of manipulatives to enhance concept formation in middle school science classes.

Esthela Beltran

SME Administrative Service Officer II
972-883-4215
FN 3.218A
esthela@utdallas.edu

• BA in Interdisciplinary Studies, UT Dallas

Dr. Kim Distin

SME/UTeach Dallas
Educational Technology Specialist
972-883-6415
FN 3.308Q
kimd@utdallas.edu

• PhD in Philosophy in Science Education, Curtin University, Perth, AU
• MAT in Science Education, UT Dallas
• BS in Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston
• Teaching Certifications in:
  • Secondary Composite Science 6-12, Lifetime

Research focus for SME: Learning environments of preservice teachers. Previous research on the effects of Integrated Physics and Chemistry on chemistry and physics understanding and test scores helped to shape decisions of the Texas SBOE.

Hailey King, MEd

UTeach Dallas Academic Advisor
972-883-6485
FN 3.308P
hailey.king@utdallas.edu

• MEd in Higher Education Administration, University of Houston
• BS in Psychology, Oklahoma State University

Mary Ann Snedecor

Secretary III
972-883-2496
FN 3.218
mas063100@utdallas.edu

Melissa Wyder

SME Administrative Assistant
972-883-6497
FN 3.308N
melissa.wyder@utdallas.edu

• BS in Business and Public Administration, UT Dallas