Moderated by Susi Varvayanis , Senior Director, Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training Program at Cornell University
ABSTRACT
How well is what is being taught aligned with industry needs? How is the public reception of biotechnology reflected in the evolution from education to industrial practice? There are plenty of blockages along the biotechnology education pipeline; how are educators, researchers and industry addressing them? Come to this panel discussion with educators from the high school, community college, university levels and from research and industry sectors to hear about how theory and practice intersect, learn about future directions and hot topics that you too can contribute to solve.
BIOGRAPHIES
Heidi Busa , ESF in the High School Teacher, Marcellus High School
Heidi Busa has been a science educator in the Marcellus School District and the Syracuse City Schools for the past 34 years. She has taught Biology, Chemistry and Earth Science, as well as numerous different senior level elective courses such as Biomedical and Chemical Technologies, Environmental
Studies, SUPA Biology and SUNY ESF's Global Environment course. Heidi currently teaches at
Marcellus High School and is the 7th -12th grade Science Content Specialist for the district.
Dr. Tom Keenan , Professor of Biology, Onondaga Community College
Laurel Southard , Director, Cornell Institute for Biology Teachers
Laurel Southard wears two hats at Cornell University. She is the Director of the Cornell Institute for
Biology Teachers (CIBT). The Institute was founded in 1990 to help teachers of science provide their students with high-quality, hands-on labs and activities. CIBT offers high-quality teacher professional development workshops, hands-on labs and activities and an equipment lending library for teachers associated with the program. To date, over 1600 teachers have participated in workshops organized by
CIBT. The Equipment Lending Library, funded by Empire State Development’s Division of Science,
Technology and Innovation, provides equipment and materials used by over 10,000 students in New York
State. CIBT labs and activities are developed by teacher/scientist teams and undergo extensive classroom testing. The labs can be found at http://cibt.cornell.edu/labs-activities/.
She is also the Director of Undergraduate Research for the University. In this position, she works with students, faculty, alums and outside programs to help students become engaged in research during their undergraduate years at Cornell. http://undergraduateresearch.cornell.edu.
Dr. Melvyn Morris, Educational Program Administrator, Brookhaven National Laboratory
Dr. Morris has been in education for over 40 years having taught science at the junior high, senior high and university levels. He was the first science faculty hired to start Shoreham-Wading River high school
8 th
Annual NYS Biotechnology Symposium
- May 19 & 20, 2016 -

and retired after 24 years during which time he helped to shape the science program, developed the community education program, was a class advisor and active in the teacher union. After spending 2 years at Southampton College he joined the Office of Educational Programs at Brookhaven National
Laboratory as an Educational Programs Administrator. He is responsible for undergraduate student internship programs, started the successful Open Space Stewardship Program as well as the Day in the
Life of a River programs and organizes teacher workshops. He has taught several teacher workshops in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
He was president of the SUNY Stony Brook alumni association for 7 years, is a fellow of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science, a member of NSTA and STANYS
Currently Dr. Morris is the Manager of Special Projects in the Office of Education Programs at
Brookhaven National Laboratory.
8 th
Annual NYS Biotechnology Symposium
- May 19 & 20, 2016 -