Professional Biography

Joan Schumaker Chadde has been the Education Program Coordinator for the Center for Science and Environmental Outreach at Michigan Technological University since 1995, and has been the Education Program Coordinator for the Western Upper Peninsula Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education since 2001. The Center is a partnership of Copper Country & Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School Districts and Michigan Technological University. The Center's mission is to enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics and science in the 21 school districts and communities of Houghton, Baraga, Gogebic, Ontonagon and Keweenaw Counties. Joan designs and implements a variety of educational outreach programs for K-12 students and teachers.

Joan teaches ED 3510 & 3511 Communicating Science to guide MTU students in the development and presentation of lessons at the twenty family science nights conducted by the Center each year. Joan also conducts many professional development workshops and institutes for both in-service and pre-service teachers on a range of topics ranging from ecological monitoring, stream monitoring, ecology of the Great Lakes, and more.

Joan has a BS in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan (1977) and an MS in Water Resources from the University of Wyoming (1984). Her masters research on developing a regression model for estimating evapotranspiration rates for alfalfa hay crops in the high mountain meadows of Wyoming was supported by a graduate fellowship from the Wyoming State Legislature. Joan completed her secondary science teaching certification (major: biology; minor: general science) at Michigan Technological University (1998).

Previously, Joan worked for 8 years as a water quality program specialist for the Montana Department of Natural Resources (1987-1995); and as an environmental educator at the National Outdoor Leadership School in Wyoming, Yosemite Institute, Wyoming Outdoor Council, and at Innisfree at Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore (1978-1987).

Professional Affiliations

Board Member, Isle Royale Natural History Association (2003-2005)
Member, National Science Teachers Association (since 1997)
Member, Michigan Science Teachers Association (since 1999)
Member, Michigan Alliance of Environmental and Outdoor Educators (since 1997)
Member, North American Association of Environmental Education (since 2000)

Professional Affiliations

State of the Lakes Conference on Lake Superior (2002)
International Association of Great Lakes Research (2001, 2003)
North American Association of Environmental Educators (2001, 2002)
National Science Teachers Association conventions (1999-2002)
Dickinson-Iron Intermediate School District (2000)
Northern Michigan University Seaborg Center Annual Conference for Math & Science Teachers (1997-99)
Groundwater Foundation Educators Conference (1996)

Courses