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Jacalyn Giacalone Willis has 25 years experience as a professional developer in K-12 science education. She founded PRISM (Professional Resources In Science & Mathematics), a professional development center for teachers at Montclair State University, with a staff of scientists, mathematicians, K-12 teachers, and administrative personnel. PRISM and earlier programs designed by Dr. Willis have served over 5,000 teachers and more than 60,000 students since 1994. Funding sources included the National Science Foundation, the US Department of Education, and the NJ State Department of Education. She is an innovator in the use of videoconference technology to connect K-12 classrooms with researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama and with students, teachers, and researchers in Belize, Australia, Madagascar, and Thailand. She earned a doctorate in Biology from the City University of New York and has 40 years experience working with international research teams in tropical forests, especially Panama, where she maintains a long-term mammal population monitoring project that is shared with teachers and students through professional development and videoconferences. She is an active member of the International Society for Teacher Education since 1998 and the Co-convener of the Society’s Annual Seminar for 2015, to be hosted at Montclair State University.

Specialization

ecology, mammalogy, ecology of ocelots and other members of the cat family, tropical rainforests, biodiversity, population dynamics, K-12 professional development, teaching through videoconference, science education, The Next Generation Science Standards, STEM resources for teaching

Resume/CV

Research Projects