Rhiannon Crain
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Road
Ithaca, New York
Education
Ph.D. | University of California, Santa Cruz Education, emphasis in Informal Science Learning | June 2009 |
Institutionalization In Action: Science Center Interactivity And Materiality From The Family Perspective Rodney T. Ogawa (chair): Organizational Theory, Gordon Wells: Sociocultural Theory & Discourse Analysis, and Karen Barad: Science and Technology Studies & Feminist Studies | ||
Examination Fields: Socio-cultural Learning Theory, Organizations, Informal Science Learning, Artifacts, Museums, Mapping | ||
MA | University of California, Santa Cruz Education, emphasis in Informal Science Learning | September 2006 |
Enacted Artifacts In Two Educational Spaces: How People Use And Make Objects, Language, And Ideas In and Out of School Advisors: Doris B. Ash, Rodney Ogawa, & Gordon Wells | ||
BS | University of Arizona, Tucson Ecology & Evolutionary Biology,Cum Laude | May 2002 |
Honors Grant Thesis: Insect Herbivory in Late Eocene Green River Formation Fossilized Leaves (Advisors: Dr. Dena Smith, Dept. of Geosciences and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Dr. Karl Flessa, Dept. of Geosciences) |
Fellowships, Awards, & Honors
Dissertation Spotlight on informalscience.org | 2009 |
Dissertation featured during Fall 2009 on the premier informal science educator social network website | |
Center for Informal Learning and Schools Graduate Fellowship, National Science Foundation | 2002-2009 |
Competitive fellowship for full funding and professional development in a consortium of Universities and Interactive Science Museums | |
Van de Verde Scholar, University of Arizona Physics Department | 2001 |
Competitive scholarship awarded to those with outstanding potential in the sciences | |
Honors Research Fellowship, University of Arizona, Honors College | 1999 |
Competitive award (10 per year) to conduct original undergraduate research | |
President's Award for Excellence in Scholarship, University of Arizona | 1998-2002 |
Merit-based tuition waiver, renewed based on continued excellent academic achievement |
Experience
Project Leader: The YardMap Network. Citizen Science Department, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY | 2009-present |
Currently manage the development of a new citizen science web application that seeks to enrich our understanding of how birds use residential habitat and the potential impacts of cumulative restoration efforts in urban and suburban landscapes. | |
Researcher: Mapping the Contours of Professional Development for Informal Science Educators. Exploratorium, San Francisco, CA | 2009 |
Researched professional development available to informal science educators. Composed white paper for use in the development of ISE policy. | |
Researcher: Sketch-mapping to Access Family Understanding of Science Center Norms. University of California, Santa Cruz, Department of EducationNSF DRL #0119787 | 2007-2009 |
Innovated map-based methods for the study of learning, collaborated with an in-house museum research team, utilized extensive digital video technology, recruited and interviewed participants from a diversity of age-groups and family backgrounds, used StudioCode software for microgenetic coding of video data and digitized maps. Attended annual NSF Centers for Learning and Teaching PI meeting. | |
Researcher: Shared Scientific Sense-making of Bilingual Families in Aquaria Project. University of California, Santa Cruz, Department of EducationNSF DRL #0133662 | 2003-2007 |
Organized bilingual family visits to aquaria, developed coding scheme for tracing biological content in natural conversation, pioneered the use of qualitative analysis software, managed the work-flow for the 10 person research team, trained other research assistants, integrated biology and discourse analysis expertise, led in the publishing of two research articles, contributed to annual grant-agency reports. | |
Researcher/ Technician: Successful Scaffolding Strategies in Urban Museums Project. University of California, Santa Cruz, Department of EducationNSF DRL #0515468 | 2007 |
Developed StudioCode video analysis coding scheme for research team, trained graduate researchers in new software and technology applications. Helped organize and manage a multi-institutional NSF-funded project. | |
Teaching Associate: Theories of Learning Course. University of California, Santa Cruz, Department of Education | 2005 |
Developed and presented lectures on learning theory. Influenced the content of the syllabus. Responsible for two sections (30+ students in each). Graded written work, oversaw and evaluated student projects. Developed iterative narrative evaluations for each student. Utilized emergent new media to promote student collaboration and dialogue. | |
Education Specialist: Flandrau Science Center, Tucson, AZ | 1999-2003 |
Developed and taught inquiry-oriented and hands-on geology, robotics, weather, ecology, biology and astronomy programming to adults, high school, elementary, and college students. Forged collaboration between University of Arizona researchers and the science center that yielded an exhibit on Earth Systems Sciences and Space exploration. Helped develop and manage an internship for high school students. Consulted on science content in educational programming. | |
Teaching Assistant: Marine Discovery Program, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ | 2001-2003 |
Taught conservation-oriented marine biology content to elementary and undergraduate students. Supervised teaching assistants in both field and classroom settings. | |
Counselor: Wet Feet Ocean Summer Camp, Centro Intercultural de Estudios de Desiertos y Océanos (CEDO Research Station), Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, México | 2001-2003 |
Taught intensive, field-based, Marine Biology and Conservation Summer camps to Mexican and American school-aged children. |
Publications (peer-reviewed only)
Ogawa, R; Loomis, M.; Crain, R. (2009). Social construction of an interactive science center: The institutional history of the Exploratorium. Science Education. 93:269 – 292.
Ash, D, Tellez, K., & Crain, R. (2008). Talking in Two Languages About Living Things. Talking science, writing science: The work of language in multicultural classrooms. In Bruna, K & Gomez, K. (eds), Language, Culture, and Teaching Series.
Ogawa, R; Crain, R; Loomis, M; Ball, T; Kim, R (2008). CHAT/IT: Towards Conceptualizing Learning in the Context of Formal Organizations. Educational Researcher. 37 (2), pp. 83–95.
Ash, D., Crain, R., Brandt, C., Loomis, M., Wheaton, M., Bennett, C. (2007). Talk, tools, and tensions in informal science: Tool for observing biological talk over time. International Journal of Science Education, 29(12), 1581-1602.
Presentations (Peer-reviewed or Invited only)
Ball, T; Crain, R; Loomis, M.; Ogawa, R. (2008, September). Theoretical and methodological explorations of learning in formal organizations: The institutional dimension of activity. International Society for Culture, and Activity Research. San Diego, CA.
Crain, R. (2007, August). Space-use as a method for understanding normative and non-normative experiences in science centers. Poster session at the Bay Area Institute, San Francisco, CA.
Ogawa, R., Loomis, M., & Crain, R. (2007, August). The social construction of an interactive science center: An institutional history of the Exploratorium. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the European Science Education Research Association, Malmo, Sweden.
Ash, D & Crain, R. (2007, April). Observing biological talk over time: A tool and some tensions. Paper presentation at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research on Science Teaching. New Orleans, LA.
Ogawa, R; Crain, R; Loomis, M; Ball, T; Kim, R. (2006, April). Toward Conceptualizing Learning in the Context of Formal Organizations. Paper presented at American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting. San Francisco, CA.
Tran, L; Ball, T; Crain, R; DeWitt, J; Phillips, M. (2006, April). Museums and schools: Crossing boundaries and creating spaces among public education organizations. Paper presented at American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting. San Francisco, CA.
Crain, R.; Loomis, M.; Ogawa, R. (2005, October). Seeing science for what it is, was, and could be. Paper presented at the Society for Social Studies of Science Annual Meeting. Pasadena, CA.
Crain, R. (2005, September). The roles of enacted artifacts in two education spaces. Paper given at International Society for Cultural and Activity Research Congress, Sevilla, Spain.
Professional Service
New Roots Charter School, Ithaca NY | 2008-2009 |
Consulted Board of Directors on the impact of physical space on learning setting. | |
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Bay Watershed Education and Training Review Board | 2006-2007 |
Reviewed educational program grant proposals Spring 06, Fall 06, Fall 07. | |
Colloquium Committee Student Representative | 2005-2007 |
Represented the graduate student body by advocating for colloquium speakers that best represented their interests. Organized department colloquia. Mitigated conflict. Recruited scholars. | |
Near East Southern Asian Virtual Science Fair | 2007-2008 |
Mentored teams of students competing in their local science fair using new media. Emphasis on experimental design, data presentation, and hypothesis generation. | |
American Educational Research Association | 2006-2007 |
Reviewed Submissions for the Cultural-Historical Activity Theory Interest Group 2007, and for the Informal Learning Special Interest Group in 2006. | |
Education Department, University of California Santa Cruz | |
Colloquium Committee Student Representative: Represented the graduate student body by advocating for colloquium speakers that best represented their interests. Organized department colloquia. | 2005-2007 |
Doctoral Program Committee Student Representative: Acted as the student voice on the faculty Doctoral Programming Committee. Prepared reports, synthesized a diversity of student perspectives, and advocated for policy changes. | 2004 |
Led the development of the Doctoral Students Committee: Organized a student committee designed to inform our student body of departmental happenings and organize our voice with regard to departmental policy, technology, and hiring. | 2005-2008 |
