Heidi Ballard
Founder, Faculty Director
Heidi’s research and practice have formed the foundation for the Center. She is leading the development of its overarching vision and mission, and building partnerships and collaborations across the University and beyond. She is Associate Professor and Chancellor’s Fellow at the UC Davis School of Education. Read more
Ryan Meyer
Executive Director
Ryan leads strategic, financial, and operational development of the Center. He has has studied science and society, worked with governments and scientists to improve the links between science and decision making, and developed organizational leadership experience in the nonprofit sphere. Read more
Researchers
Erin Bird
Erin is a former high school science teacher and has founded and directed environmental education and farm-based education programs throughout the Bay Area. Her research interests focus on social and environmental justice through and within science education. Read more
Sinead Brien
Sinead’s background is in secondary level science education and environmental education in Mozambique and the United States. Her current focus is on ways citizen science can support formal science education and contributes to youth development of science identity.
Karen Bush
Karen has been a science educator for almost 20 years, primarily as a middle school science teacher. She is currently working toward her PhD in science education with a focus on 1) designing instructional methods and environments to support student learning of challenging scientific concepts and the nature of scientific thinking and 2) supporting students who have traditionally been underrepresented in science pathways as they pursue science related degrees, careers and interests.
Colin Dixon
As an educator and researcher, Colin comes to the CCS project looking at youth development and science learning as a tool for young people to use in their lives and communities.
Jennifer Metes
Jen is a graduate student in the Community Development Graduate group at UC Davis. Her work at the Center is focused on the recruitment and retention of participants in coastal citizen science and how the use of citizen science data informs natural resource management and decision-making. Previously, Jen taught environmental education in several National Parks and worked as a field technician for the US Forest Service.
Faculty Affiliates
Gail Patricelli
Professor and Chancellor’s Fellow, Department of Evolution and Ecology.
Emily Harris
Emily is a researcher and teacher educator interested in teacher and youth science learning, and identity work in the context of citizen science and school gardens. She received her PhD from UC Davis in 2017, and worked on the Youth-focused Community and Citizen Science project from its inception. Read more
Lina Yamashita
Lina is the Medical Programs Director for Volunteers in Asia, based in San Francisco. She received her PhD from UC Davis in 2017, and worked with Heidi Ballard on the NSF-funded EESIP project. Lina is interested in using the food system to explore as well as deepen students’ and teachers’ understandings of the social, environmental, cultural, and economic aspects of sustainability. Read more
