29 October - 14 November, 2014
This course will provide you with a deeper understanding of the influence of the Arctic on global climate and the impact that natural and human produced tiny particles, such as sulfur and carbon soot, can have on future climate. Dr. Joe McConnell will offer suggestions for identifying and reducing the scientific jargon in presentations, leading to communication of climate change concepts to the public in a clear form that can be easily understood. Ms. Linda Morris will demonstrate a hands-on ice- core focused classroom activity utilizing Dr. McConnell's data and will demonstrate how this activity can enhance your students' ability to decode scientific vocabulary.
Dr. Joseph McConnell studies climate and environmental history to understand natural and human-caused changes in the Earth system. He holds degrees from Yale, Stanford, and the University of Arizona. In his work, Dr. McConnell uses polar ice cores as recorders of past climate and environmental change, and focuses on the relationship between aerosols and climate change. His research group has developed and applied methods for making very precise, high-depth-resolution chemical measurements in ice cores. Read More
Joe has been a faculty member at the Desert Research Institute (DRI) in Reno NV since 1998. Recent awards include the Inaugural Nazir and Mary Ansari Medal for Excellence in Science (2008) and the Fulbright Traditional Scholars Program: Collaboration in Snow and Ice Chemistry: Industrial Pollution in the Antarctica Peninsula during Recent Centuries (2005/2006). When not doing his research, Joe loves to hike and travel internationally with his family.
Linda Morris is committed to turning kids on to science....a goal she has pursued through a variety of "extreme" career roles, from donning a flight suit to investigating the poles! In her current position as Director of Education & Public Outreach for the NSF-funded Ice Drilling Program Office, she is responsible for the outreach needs of the scientists, drillers and national projects currently conducting paleo-climate research through ice cores. Read More
In her earlier career, she spent ten years as a science specialist at the middle school level and consulted on the design of multiple distance learning programs in the "Passport to Knowledge" and "Earth, the Operator's Manual" series. Linda has a degree in biology from Middlebury College and a Masters in Science Education from Fairleigh Dickinson University. When not working, Linda loves to ride horses, pursue dance and do needlework.
