Marsha Willis has been an educator for over twenty-five years. She is currently working for the Texas Regional Collaboratives for Excellence in Science Teaching at The University of Texas at Austin. Job duties include coordinating and providing Professional Development to science teachers in the state and coordinating the GLOBE Program in Texas. Her area of expertise in the science education field is Earth/space science.

Her interests include: photography, traveling, SCUBA diving and visiting her children and grandchildren in California and Colorado. As a GLOBE trainer, she is very excited about learning more about the Noctilucent/Polar Mesospheric Clouds.

marshawillis@mail.utexas.edu

From Louisiana to Las Vegas I have been an educator for 29 years, teaching preschoolers to college students.  I currently direct science workshops for 78 districts through Education Service Center Region 12, Texas Education Service Center, Waco, Texas.  I have been a Discovery Workshop director, Idea Workshop programmer for learning About Learning Center at Trinity University, San Antonio,  providing workshops for University for young people in Waco, San Antonio, Mesquite, Frisco, Grand Prairie, Paris, Coppell, Commerce, Provo, Las Vegas, and served as consultant for the Red River Revel in Shreveport, La. (my hometown where I graduated high school with Terry Bradshaw…back when he had hair!).  I have also conducted Super Saturdays and summer camps for  Texas A&M at Commerce University for Youth, McLennan Community College, Baylor University, and coached high school Speech/Drama.  I live on a 130 acre ranch bordered by a lake with assorted critters (cows, horses, 140 lb. English Mastiff) and a greenhouse full of tropical plants.  I am a Disney American Teacher award honoree 1999 which was an awesome experience for any teacher, being feted by the Disney Channel, Burbank dinner parties, leading Disneyland parades, and many gifts.  I currently serve on the Disney American Teacher Award (Disney Hand) Review Committee and have published in the Creative Classroom Series through Disney and Harvard’s Project Zero.  I was recently awarded membership in  “Pi Lambda Theta,”  who honors outstanding educators.  I am passionate about immersing  teachers in scientific inquiry experiences, facilitating children’s discoveries, acquiring new skills, and about being surrounded by nature!  (Enclosed is a picture of me with APHA "Dixie Star," my wonderful paint horse.)

bwivagg@esc12.net