Posted March 9th, 2010 by Admin

About the Author

> Derek Dennis (teachscience@mac.com) has been an 8th grade science teacher at Rugby Middle School in Hendersonville, NC for five years. Before Rugby, Mr. Dennis taught at Valley Springs Middle School and A.C. Reynolds Middle in Asheville. Mr. Dennis is the assistant coach for the science Olympiad program at Rugby and has also been a judge for the NC State Science Fair for the past four years. In addition to the Kenan Fellowship with PARI, he has assisted in many of PARI educational programs including: SGRA, ROBOTS, Summer Space Lab, and Duke TIP programs. He holds an A.S. in Science from Louisburg College and a B.S. of Science from UNC-Chapel Hill. He studied abroad for a year at Flensborgarskólinn in Hafnarfjörður Iceland. Mr. Dennis also worked at the Morehead Planetarium at UNC-Chapel for three years. He entered teaching through the NC TEACH at Western Carolina University (http://www.wcu.edu/7529.asp) and is actively persuading a master’s degree. Derek’s wife is also a teacher, she is the orchestra director.

Mentors:

Dr. Michael Castelaz

Castelaz portrait < Dr. Castelaz is Director of Astronomical Studies and Education at Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) where he conducts astronomical research facilitates collaborations with universities for research and education; develops instrumentation; and teaches high school and university students through programs at PARI. Dr. Castelaz earned his Master’s Degree in Physics from Central Michigan University in 1979 and his Ph.D. in Astrophysics in 1984 from the University of Wyoming. From 1984-1986 he was awarded a National Academy of Sciences Research Associateship at NASA Ames Research Center where he studied interstellar matter surrounding newly formed stars. In 1986, he moved to the Allegheny Observatory of the University of Pittsburgh where he participated in a search for planets around other stars using an innovative astrometric technique. While in Pittsburgh, he also taught astronomy at Carnegie Mellon University. In 1991, he joined the Physics faculty at East Tennessee State University, where he was later tenured and promoted. Dr. Castelaz accepted his current position at PARI in 2001 where he currently enjoys the best of all astronomical worlds – research and education in astronomy. He has over 50 publications, numerous grants, and is particularly interested in the advancement of undergraduate education through research experiences.

Christi Whitworth

Whitworth portrait > Christi Whitworth has been with PARI since 2006, starting a Science Educator has been the Education Director since January 2009. Ms. Whitworth creates and maintains programming for PARI’s StarLab and other educational outreach programs. In addition, she manages and coordinates volunteer and public programs. Ms. Whitworth received a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, TN. Continuing to receive a M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction; Tennessee Technological University - Cookeville, TN. Ms. Whitworth’s past educational background includes, The Caldwell Zoo in Tyler Texas, and The Discovery Science Place Hands-on Math and Science Museum for Children in Tyler Texas. She also taught seventh grade science at White County Middle School in Sparta Tennessee and was Itinerant Teacher of the gifted in Maury County Public Schools, Columbia, Tennessee.

Sponsor Support: Cisco Systems:

Kirsten Weeks

Weeks portrait < Kirsten Weeks is Sr. Community Relations Manager for Cisco, overseeing the company’s Community Relations programs at Cisco’s major U.S. locations.

Immediately prior to joining Cisco in February 2007, Weeks served in several communications roles during her four-year tenure with the North Carolina Department of State Treasurer.

Prior to joining the Treasurer’s office, Weeks worked for the North Carolina Department of Commerce, and as assistant press secretary for North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt. She also worked as press secretary for the National Partnership for Women and Families (formerly the Women’s Legal Defense Fund), a non-profit advocacy organization in Washington, DC.

Weeks is a native North Carolinian. She holds an undergraduate degree in Mass Communication from North Carolina State University. She also holds a master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she was a Roy H. Park Fellow and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Kenan-Flagler Business School.