SFS Annual Meeting

5/24/2018  |   09:00 - 09:15   |  320

FRESHWATER SCIENCE AS A COURSE OPTION FOR NONSCIENCE MAJORS Most higher education institutions are incorporating science courses as a curriculum requirement for nonscience degrees. The purpose of these courses is to provide nonmajors with an opportunity to learn, practice, and improve scientific inquiry, research, data management, and critical thinking. Some challenges that instructors offering these courses may find are: lack of interest from the students, and the perspective that science is a difficult subject. These challenges are more common in biological sciences courses since the majority of topics build upon previous courses or require certain degree of background knowledge. Here I present personal experiences and suggestions from teaching two semesters of freshwater science as a nonmajors course at the college level. Nonbiology majors find freshwater concepts and issues more relatable to their personal lives. By using a conservation focus with a multidisciplinary approach, students can see the connections and relevance between the concepts covered in the course and their own field of study. At the same time, we are preparing our future generations to have a basic knowledge and understanding of freshwater issues.

PJ Torres (Primary Presenter/Author), Queens University, torresp@queens.edu;


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5/24/2018  |   09:15 - 09:30   |  320

ENGAGING METRO DETROIT STUDENTS IN FRESHWATER SCIENCE Grade school students in urban and suburban areas may not have access to outdoor recreation activities, which in turn can limit their understanding and appreciation for freshwater systems. Furthermore, in metropolitan areas like Detroit, students in racially and financially polarized areas face systemic barriers that result in unequal opportunities. My outreach goals as a freshwater scientist are to engage K-12 students in thinking about the health of freshwater systems and to promote a diverse and inclusive future for freshwater science. Throughout my Ph.D. program, I have delivered in-class guest lectures and facilitated field trips for local students, all with a focus on Great Lakes ecology. Many students I interact with have never been in a lake or a stream or have been introduced to the ecology of freshwater systems. Personally visiting classrooms and providing interactive and hands-on freshwater science lessons provides students with educational experiences outside of their regular curriculum. By introducing students from various racial, ethnic, and financial backgrounds to the world of freshwater science at a young age, we can shape the future of freshwater science to be more diverse and encourage young citizens to value freshwater resources.

Anna Boegehold (Primary Presenter/Author), Wayne State University, az1079@wayne.edu;


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5/24/2018  |   09:30 - 09:45   |  320

ENGAGING STUDENTS IN STORMWATER SCIENCE In an era where students spend more time on their cell phones than outside, it can be challenging to reconnect our youth to their environment. However, Stormwater scientists from Fairfax County, Virginia continue to create meaningful ways for teachers to connect their students to real world science and scientists. Students and teachers benefit when professional subject matter experts partner with them in the classroom or the field to provide experiential examples of how science is used to monitor the health of our environment. Conference attendees will be introduced to more than a decade’s worth of watershed and stormwater education programs developed for Fairfax County Public School K through 12 teachers and students. The focus of this session will be centered on an innovative stormwater facility replanting program in which students help install native plants in existing facilities to improve water quality and biodiversity on school campuses. Previously, implementation of any non-structural stormwater enhancement project on campuses was met with roadblocks. Through creative thinking, stormwater scientists found a way to overcome hurdles to create an engaging, hands-on program that meets educational, water quality and environmental stewardship goals in Fairfax County, Virginia.

Danielle Wynne (Primary Presenter/Author), Fairfax County, VA Government, danielle.wynne@fairfaxcounty.gov;
Danielle Wynne has been a freshwater ecologist with the Fairfax County Stormwater Planning Division since 2002. Ms. Wynne has an undergraduate degree in Biology and Master's degree in Environmental Science and Public Policy from George Mason University. Her duties include stream insect and fish surveys, bacteria sampling, and field assessments of habitat and water quality. She leads the award-winning Watershed Education and Outreach section and has a passion for working with students and teachers to help promote the importance of environmental stewardship and education. Ms. Wynne has worked with thousands of students and looks forward to educating many thousands more.

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5/24/2018  |   09:45 - 10:00   |  320

ENTICEMENT THROUGH IMMERSION: ENGAGEMENT AND RECRUITMENT OF AQUATIC ECOLOGISTS AT A PUI Aquatic Ecology isn’t usually the primary occupational goal for most undergraduate students. Sadly, many don’t even know that it is a career choice. Guidance counsellors, parents, and the media have often convinced students that they have to go into pre-health professions to have a stable or rewarding life. Furthermore, the lack of emphasis on ecological importance in K-12 education limits early interest in the field. Individual research experiences and intensive field courses give students time to explore aquatic ecology, to learn valuable skills in the field, experience genuine research conditions, and if not convince them to be aquatic ecologists, at least foster a respect for the importance of the field. Focusing on the process of discovery, rather than the regular assessment that often occurs in on-campus classroom experiences, also gives students a more realistic view of professional science.

Jeffrey Heilveil (Primary Presenter/Author), State University of New York, College at Oneonta, jeffrey.heilveil@oneonta.edu;


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5/24/2018  |   10:00 - 10:15   |  320

RECRUITING AND RETAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF STEM PROFESSIONALS – THE DAY1: WATERSHED RESEARCH COMMUNITY AT HOPE COLLEGE It is recognized that effective approaches to preparing students for careers in STEM fields include opportunities to practice science – not by taking traditional laboratory courses in a discipline, but by allowing students to experience science in laboratories of investigators and in undergraduate research-based courses. Likewise, the best science and science education occurs in the context of diverse groups of engaged professionals and learners. We describe the Hope College Day1: Watershed Research Community, which brings together successful models of retaining students in STEM fields. The program is open to first year undergraduates, regardless of background and career intent. Students join a research community focused on local community efforts to remediate the Macatawa Watershed. A year-long research course, focused on longitudinal monitoring of chemical and biological water quality metrics in the watershed, provides introductory biology and chemistry laboratory credit for students. A residential component requires students to live in the same dormitory, building community and support networks. Assessment reveals differences in Day1 students’ relatedness and feelings of belonging compared to students taking traditional laboratories. The program addresses national efforts by private and federal funding agencies to promote inclusive excellence in STEM.

Aaron Best (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Hope College, best@hope.edu;


Catherine Mader (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Hope College, mader@hope.edu;


Graham Peaslee (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Notre Dame, gpeaslee@nd.edu;


Michael Pikaart (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Hope College, pikaart@hope.edu;


Stephen Scogin (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Hope College, scogin@hope.edu;


Justin Shorb (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Hope College, shorb@hope.edu;


Sarah Brokus (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Hope College, brokus@hope.edu;


Francesco Moen (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Hope College, moen@hope.edu;


Chelsea Payne (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Hope College, cepayne7@gmail.com;


Randall Wade (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Hope College, wade@hope.edu;


Brent Krueger (Primary Presenter/Author), Hope College, kruegerb@hope.edu;


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5/24/2018  |   10:15 - 10:30   |  320

TEACHING PRACTICES IN REFORMED UNDERGRADUATE STEM LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS: A STUDY OF INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT BEHAVIORS IN BIOLOGY COURSES There is strong evidence that active-engagement instruction positively affects student achievement outcomes and success in undergraduate science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, including the freshwater sciences. Our study examined the teaching practices occurring in a reformed undergraduate STEM learning environment at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. We analyzed 37 video-recorded class sessions of 13 instructors teaching biology courses using a classroom observation protocol. We found that instructors guided students (58.4%) almost three times more than they lectured (20.4%) and students spent roughly equivalent amounts of time listening (35.4%), working individually or in groups (36.5%), and talking to the whole class (20.7%). Although instructors in this study used many evidence-based teaching strategies to promote student engagement, there were still missed opportunities for students to independently think and talk about biology. Finally, grouping of instructor behaviors allowed us to develop an illustrative model exemplifying the sequence of instructor and student behaviors in these active learning classrooms. This model shows that classrooms with high levels of active engagement have more dynamic behaviors than classrooms with moderate levels. Our findings have implications for incorporating active-engagement instructional practices to improve freshwater science teaching.

Petra Kranzfelder (Primary Presenter/Author), University of California, Santa Barbara, pkranzfelder@ucsb.edu;


Alexander T. Lo (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Minnesota, loxxx195@umn.edu;


Marin P. Melloy (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Minnesota Twin Cities, mello050@umn.edu;


Lindsey E. Walker (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Minnesota, walk0605@umn.edu;


Abdi-Rizak M. Warfa (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Minnesota Twin Cities, awarfa@umn.edu;


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