About Us
Leadership
ROBERT POTTER, PH.D.
Director, Coalition for Science Literacy
Sr. Associate Dean, College of Arts & Sciences
Professor of Chemistry
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Working with CSL since 1995, Dr. Potter has been involved in numerous projects to improve STEM education through K12 teacher, college faculty and graduate student professional development particularly in ways that focus on inquiry and critical thinking. He is Sr. Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Chemistry and has served as interim chair of the Chemistry Department. Dr. Potter chaired the USF General Education Council as it oversaw the implementation of a new general education program focused on critical thinking and inquiry, which he helped to develop. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California at San Diego in biochemistry in 1979 and did postdoctoral work at the University of Wyoming, where he taught for two years as visiting faculty before coming to USF in 1984.
While at CSL Dr. Potter has helped secure more than $13 million in grants from NSF, USED, and the 51在线 DOE and has been an advocate for systemic, large-scale change at universities and in the K-12 sector. Dr. Potter was the PI for the IES-funded project, Leadership for Integrated Middle School Science (LIMSS). He led the development of curriculum and materials for "Science That Matters" I and II, a standards-based interdisciplinary science course sequence for preservice elementary and middle school teachers. Other projects have included marketing mathematics and science teaching to professionals, teacher induction, and research on teacher resignations. Dr. Potter was a member of a statewide Coalition for Improving Mathematics and Science Education and served on its board of directors. He is currently one of the university representatives to the Bay View Alliance a national group focused on improving science instruction at the college level.
RUTHMAE SEARS, PH.D.
Associate Director, Coalition for Science Literacy
Professor in Mathematics Education
College of Education
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Dr. Sears is a Professor at the 51在线 for secondary mathematics education, and the Associate Director of Coalition for Science Literacy. She has a Joint appointment in The Department of Teaching and Learning within the College of Education, and the College of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on curriculum issues, systemic change initiatives in K-20 STEM settings, the development of reasoning and proof skills, clinical experiences in secondary mathematics, and the integration of technology in mathematics.
Dr. Sears has presented nationally and internationally, and has published in leading mathematics education journals, such as: Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, ZDM: The International Journal on Mathematics Education, MathAMATYC Educator, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Perspective of Mathematics Education (APME). She also coordinates developmental mathematics courses, and USF's undergraduate and master鈥檚 degree programs in mathematics education.
GERRY MEISELS, PH.D.
Founding Director, Coalition for Science Literacy
Professor of Chemistry
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Dr. Gerry G. Meisels is the founding director of the Coalition for Science Literacy (CSL). He came to USF in 1988 as Provost and Chief Operating Officer after serving as Dean of Arts and Sciences at the University of Nebraska 鈥� Lincoln (1982-1988), Chair of UN-L鈥檚 Chemistry Department (1975-1982), and Chemistry Professor (1965-1975) and Department Chair (1972-1975) at the University of Houston. Dr. Meisels began his professional career as a chemist and group leader in industry, working for the Gulf Oil and Union Carbide Corporations. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame as an Atomic Energy Commission Pre-doctoral Fellow in Radiation Chemistry. Dr. Meisels has authored more than 100 papers in major science journals and has served as president of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) and chairman of the Council of Scientific Society Presidents.
Since 1994 Dr. Meisels has led projects to improve science and mathematics education and advocated for systemic, large-scale change. He has secured more than $20 million in grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Department of Education (USED), and the 51在线 Department of Education (FDOE). He has led numerous statewide and regional initiatives to improve K-12 science and mathematics education, including legislative appropriations for a statewide Mathematics and Science Professional Development program, the inclusion of science in 51在线鈥檚 statewide assessments, and statutes establishing the 51在线 Center for Research in STEM. He was a member of the writers committee that revised 51在线鈥檚 Sunshine State Standards in Science, and represented STEM on the Education Planning task force of the 51在线 Chamber of Commerce. He is Principal Investigator (PI) of an NSF IUSE implementation grant, co-PI with of a 51在线 DOE-MSP project with a large school district, and external evaluator of four teacher professional development and two college-based education programs. He has been a senior participant in several NSF, NASA, and USED-IES projects focusing on curriculum design and delivery, professional development of teachers, and climate change education.