Sharon Walker

Sharon H. Walker,
Associate Dean for Outreach, Institute of Marine Sciences, J.L. Scott Marine Education Center & Aquarium, Biloxi Campus; Administrator, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL), J.L. Scott Marine Education Ctr. & Aq. (MEC&A), Biloxi Campus; and Professor, Institute of Marine Sciences Department of Coastal Sciences.

Education:
Ph.D. Science Education, University of Southern Mississippi, 1988
M.S. Marine Science, Louisiana State University, 1976
B.S. Zoology, Millsaps College, 1967

Professional Experience:
1999 - present See current position listed above.
1998 - 1999 Program Director of Education for the NOAA-National Sea Grant College ProgramCInteragency-Governmental Personnel Act.
1997 - 1998 Administrator, MEC&A in Biloxi and IMSCAssociate Director for Outreach.
1990 - 1997 Administrator, MEC&A, Biloxi, MS.
1988 - 1990 Coordinator of Educational Programs, GCRL at the MEC&A, Biloxi, MS.
1984 - 1988 Marine Education Specialist, MASGC at the GCRL, Ocean Springs, MS.
1984 - 1985 Educator-Communicator Intern, MASGC at the GCRL, Ocean Springs, MS.
1978 - 1984 Advanced Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Marine Chemistry Teacher, Ocean Springs High School, Ocean Springs, MS.

Professional Affiliations:
Mississippi Academy of Sciences National Marine Educators' Association
National Science Teachers' Association Southern Association of Marine Educators
Mississippi Science Teachers' Association Marine Technology Society


Selected Publications:
Walker, Sharon H. and Howard D. Walters. 1999. AIdentification of World Wide Web Education Materials in Conjunction With the National Sea Grant College Programs HAZNET Effort@ in the Oceans >99 MTS/IEEE Conference Proceedings. Vol. III, pp. 1158-1164.

Walker, Sharon H. and Kimberly Damon-Randall (Senior Editors) and Howard D. Walters (Associate Editor). 1999. A Resource Guide for Oceanography and Coastal Processes funded by NOPP/ONR, NOAA-Sea Grant, CORE, USM-IMS, and MS=s DMR-TTF. Summer.

Walker, Sharon H. 1998. AA Precursor to The Consortium For Oceanographic Activities For Students and Teachers (COAST)...OPERATION PATHFINDER: Oceanography and Coastal Processes for Elementary, Middle School TeachersCProgram Reaches Minority Students, Puts >AAAH= Into Ocean Education,@ Marine Technology Society=s Oceans >98 MTS/IEEE Conference Proceedings, Vol. 2, pp. 326-336.

Walker, Sharon H. 1998. AOPERATION PATHFINDER Oceanography, Coastal Processes for Elementary, Middle School TeachersCProgram Reaches Minority Students, Puts >AAAH Into Ocean Education,@ Current, NMEA Journal, Volume 15, Number 1, pp. 25-34.

Walker, Sharon H., R. Amanda Newton, and Alida Ortiz. March 1998. Coral Reefs: An English/Spanish Compilation of Activities for Middle School Students funded by the U.S. Department of State and The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Walker, Sharon H. and Rob E. Caylor (Sr. Editors) and Howard D. Walters and Johnette D. Bosarge (Assistant Editors). 1996. Global Environmental Education Resource Guide For Middle School Teachers funded by the National Science Foundation. Spring.

Walker, Sharon H. 1996. AOPERATION PATHFINDER Oceanography, Coastal Processes For Elementary, Middle School TeachersCProgram Teaches Minority Students, Puts >AAAH= Into Ocean Education,@ Sea Technology. August. Volume 37, No. 8, pp. 35-41.

Walker, Sharon H. and Howard D. Walters. 1995. AModel Program For Women and Girls: Mini- Camps For Female Secondary Students,@ Marine Technology Society=s Oceans >95 MTS/IEEE Conference Proceedings, Vol. II, pp. 863-870.


Professional Activities:
Present: National Marine Educators Association (NMEA) Membership Secretary, 1996-present; Marine Technology Education Chair, 1990-present; Southern Regional Director for the BRIDGE, 1998-present; USM-Institutional Review Board, 1999-present; Kids= Voting Board, 1997-present; Ocean Springs School District Board Member, 1997-present; MSTA President 1998-2000; MS Governor=s Commission on Science and Technology as MSTA President, 1998-2000; WWF-Marine Biodiversity Education Advisory Board, 1/1999-present; and Council for Environmental Education Advisory Board, 1999-present.

Past: Interagency-Governmental Personnel Act with the National Sea Grant College Program, 8/1998-8/1999; Steering Committee Member for HBMSCU AExpanding Opportunities Conference,@ 3/30-3/31-99; Co-Director f or the MS Region VI Science and Engineering Fair, 1985-1998; MSTA President-Elect, 1996-1998; USM Human Subjects Review Committee, 1990-1995; NMEA Secretary, 1987-1991; NMEA President-Elect, 1991-1992; NMEA President, 1992-1993; NMEA Past President, 1993-1994; Seafood Industry Museum Advisory Board 1988-1989 and 1990-1993; Seafood Industry Museum President of the Board, 1989-1990; EPA Marine Litter Trash Task Force, 1989-1995; USM Governance-Tenure Committee Member for IMS-COA, fall 1997-spring 1998; USM Provost Search Committee Member, 1/98-6/98; and USM President Search Committee Member, 6/96-12/96.

Collaborators (Last 4 years):
Dan Brook & Charles Calvo (MSU); Mary Alyce Lach, Reid Riggle, and Mark Bockenhauer (SNC); Howard Walters (MGCCC-JC); Robert Bacon (SCSG); Lundie Spence (NCSU); Bruce Munson (UM); Sharon Meeker (UNH); Mike Spranger (UW); Vicki Osis (UO); Bill Hall (UD); Bob Kent (UNY-SUNY); Beth Klein (UNY-Cortland); and Al Miller and J. Lubner (UW-Madison).

Current Graduate Student Advisees:
Howard Walters and Rick Tinnin (Current) and Javier Rivera and Jennifer Hale (summer 2000).

Past Graduate Students (5 years): N/A

Current Undergraduate Students (1999-2000; MGCCC-JC):
Elizabeth Quave, Amy Preston, Israel Denham, Nicole Hously, Amanda Farnom, Jessica Lynn Waits, Jennifer Trump, and Desiree Young.

Post-Doctoral Associate (Last 5 years): N/A

Dissertations and Thesis Directed: Committee Member for Howard Walters and Rick Tinnin.

Relevant Experience:
Dr. Walker is currently PI on several education grants. She has led a national teacher enhancement effort, COAST, funded by NOPP/ONR. Dr. Walker is also currently involved in a Drifter Buoy educational project funded by ONR, an informal AOn The Road@ effort for precollege students funded by MS=s DMR and International Paper Company; a Natural Hazards Materials project funded by the National Sea Grant College Program; and a minority precollege/undergraduate effort funded by the Secretary of the Navy. She has also been involved in global change, coral reef, and oceanography and coastal processes Curriculum Development for precollege teachers. These curriculum development efforts have been funded by NSF; EPA and the Dept. of State; and the U.S. Navy, NOAA/OAR/Sea Grant/NESDIS and the Dept. of Interior.
Dr. Walker has been the Administrator for MS=s State Aquarium for the last 11 years. In this capacity, she has developed approximately ten informal educational programs for preschool through elderhostel programs which are self-generating and involve 31,000 participants.

Synergism Between Research and Education:
Dr. Walker has served in a leadership capacity in regional and national collaborations since 1987 in precollege, formal and informal marine science education projects. She has had funding during this time from NOAA (several Line Offices), NSF, EPA, the Navy, the Dept. of Interior (Office of Insular Affairs), MS=s Dept. of Marine Resources, MS=s State Dept. of Education, MS=s Dept. of Environmental Quality, and numerous local community sponsors ranging from industries, businesses, private contribution, and county and city government. Dr. Walker=s education research has successfully Abridged the gap@ between ocean sciences research and the relevance of those data to precollege teachers, students, and the general public. And, as previously mentioned, the precollege curricula which have been developed as a result of the teacher enhancements efforts are being used extensively throughout this country . Dr. Walker has also worked with significant numbers of minorities over the last 15 years, i.e., African and Native Americans, to include an NSF award for AGirls in Science and Technology.@