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Robin Goettel
Associate Director for Education

University of Illinois
368 NSRC, MC-635
1101 W. Peabody Drive
Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: 217-333-9448
Fax: 217-333-8046
goettel@illinois.edu  Curriculum vita		  

Robin Goettel serves as Associate Director for Education for Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG). She manages the K-12 education initiatives of the program and creates new partnerships with prominent educational institutions in the bi-state southern Lake Michigan region, such as the Shedd Aquarium, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, and Indiana Dunes Environmental Learning Center. Ms. Goettel specializes in teacher training and curriculum development to address issues facing the southern Lake Michigan region.

 For the past seven years, Ms. Goettel has been actively involved in curriculum development projects, educational exhibit development, and in training K-12 teachers to use innovative, interactive and informative resources in their classrooms.

 She is currently engaged in three major education projects:

  • Enriching Awareness about Fish Contaminants Via Health Expos— A bi-state public education effort.
    Through this U.S.EPA-funded project, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is partnering with Extension and the Illinois Science Teachers Association to train biology, chemistry, foods, and health teachers about the public health effects of contaminants in fish, as well as safe methods of preparation to reduce risk. Students in grades 6-12 will then learn from their teachers about this public health issue and create projects to exhibit at public events including health fairs and food festivals and other community events. Teacher workshops were held at Purdue University-Calumet and at the John G. Shedd Aquarium. More details can be found at www.iisgcp.org/edk-12/FishSchool





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  • COSEE Great Lakes— An NSF and NOAA/Sea Grant National Project
    The Great Lakes are dynamic, and COSEE Great Lakes helps teachers keep their knowledge current. For each lake, every year until 2010, IISG will conduct two short workshops of ˝ to one day. These “Teachable Moments” are designed to provide information on emerging issues or update public information on lake sciences. Frequently they will involve our informal education partners as hosts or presenters, and all will provide cutting-edge science from researchers or outreach professionals that are directly involved with the topics. In addition to the science presentations, teachers can interact with the scientists, and learn new skills or participate in curriculum activities transferable to their classrooms.  In addition, our education staff is leading a curriculum effort to compile The Greatest of the Great Lakes: A Medley of Model Lessons, which will be made available to teachers, nationally. To learn more about this and other COSEE Great Lakes opportunities, visit www.coseegreatlakes.net.

     
  • Nab the Aquatic Invader! Be a Sea Grant Super Sleuth - National Sea Grant Project
    We have created a new Web site for this kids’ area on the Sea Grant SGNIS Web site. Target is grades 4-10. This two-year NSGO-funded project brings a national focus to the site by adding marine invaders to the site, through partnerships with NY, OR, CT, and LA Sea Grant programs. We are inviting contributions from other programs with additional activity ideas. The investigation theme has students play the role of  Detective ID, Detective Thumb-a-Ride, Detective EcoFriend, Detective Dollars and Sense, and Detective Barrier. They take on cases in the biology, spread, impact and control of aquatic exotic species. We have adapted activities from the ESCAPE Compendium and Exotic Aquatics on the Move. Check out the site at www.sgnis.org/kids.

 

In addition, the Zebra Mussel Mania Traveling Trunk Project, which she initiated in 1994 continues to thrive as a National Lending Network of 25 non-formal education centers who make these education kits readily accessible to teachers in grades 3-9. Environmental education centers, aquariums, museums and zoos in 14 states provide these Trunks as a hands-on classroom resource for students to learn about aquatic invasive species, using zebra mussel issues as the primary focus.

Ms. Goettel currently serves on the Executive Board of the National Sea Grant Educators Network as a member-at-large, acting as liaison to the Sea Grant Communicators Network. Her other professional affiliations include Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, National Marine Educators Association, National Council for Geographic Education, Environmental Education Association of Illinois, Great Lakes Educators in Aquatic and Marine Science, Illinois Science Teachers Association, and Hoosier Association of Science Teachers, Inc.

Honors and Awards

  • People’s Choice Award for Collaborative Communication, “Safe Fish Consumption Outreach and Education Project,” National Sea Grant College Program, 2005
  • Outstanding Professional Skill Award and Gold Award for Nab the Aquatic Invader Web site, Association for Communications Excellence, 2005.
  • Outstanding Program Award: ESCAPE from Exotics Project, Great Lakes Sea Grant Network Program Leaders Award, 2004
  • Bronze Award for exhibit design: “Find 7 Ways to Aquatic Exotics Are Spread,” Agricultural Communicators in Education, 2004
  • Bronze Award for Arrest that Invader! Education Project, Agricultural Communicators in Education, 2003
  • Outstanding Professional Skill Award and Gold Award for ESCAPE, Agricultural Communicators in Education, 2002
  • Outstanding Educational Program - Team Project: "Exotic Species Day Camp for Educators," American Distance Education Consortium, 1999
  • Gold Award for Zebra Mussel Mania Education Project, Agricultural Communicators in Education, 1996

 

Curriculum vita

EDUCATION

  • B.A. in Geography,  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1978
  • Ed. M. in Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2003
  • Graduate level courses at the University of Illinois in Aerial Photography, Remote Sensing, and Soil Geomorphology
  • Professional development courses in Environmental Education, Leadership, Strategic Communications Planning, Project Design and Evaluation, Leadership Skills, and Supervisory Skills

POSITIONS

  • 4/83-present. Communications Coordinator, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Program and Extension Communications Specialist, Extension Service, University of Illinois.
  • 2004-present. Communications Liaison, Sea Grant Education Service, University of Illinois Communication Chair, Great Lakes Sea Grant Network
  • 2003-present. Team Member, Education Organizing Committee, Chicago Wilderness Coalition
  • 1995-1996. Communications Chair, Great Lakes Sea Grant Network.
  • 11/82-3/83.  Educational Exhibit Consultant -- Graphic design project for environmental computer system, U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Lab.
  • 2/788-10/82.  Geographer/Social Science Technician, U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, Champaign, Illinois.

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

  • Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
  • National Marine Educators Association
  • National Council for Geographic Education
  • Environmental Education Association of Illinois
  • Great Lakes Educators in Aquatic Marine Science
  • Illinois Science Teachers Association
  • Hoosier Association of Science Teachers, Inc.

HONORS AND AWARDS

  • People's Choice Award for Collaborative Communication, "Safe Fish Consumption Outreach and Education Project," National Sea Grant College Program, 2005
  • Outstanding Professional Skill Award and Gold Award for Nab the Aquatic Invader Web site, Association of Communication Excellence, 2005
  • Outstanding Program Award: ESCAPE from Exotics Project, Great Lakes Sea Grant Network Program Leaders Award, 2004
  • Bronze Award for exhibit design: "Find 7 Ways to Aquatic Exotics Are Spread," Agricultural Communicators in Education, 2004
  • Bronze Award for Arrest That Invader! Education Project, Agricultural Communicators in Education, 2003
  • Blue Ribbon Award, "Exotics to Go!" CD-ROM, National Sea Grant College Program, 2003
  • Outstanding Professional Skill Award and Gold Award for ESCAPE, Agricultural Communicators in Education, 2002
  • National Sea Grant College Program Blue Ribbon Award for Exotics To Go CD-ROM, 2003
  • National Sea Grant Program People's Choice Award for Curriculum/Classroom Products, ESCAPE, March 2001
  • Outstanding Program Award, Exotic Species Day Camp, Great Lakes Sea Grant Program Leader Award, 2000.     
  • Silver Award, Sea Grant:  A Beacon to the Future, Agricultural Communicators in Education Critique and Awards Competition, one- to three-color special reports, 2000.
  • Outstanding Educational Program - Team Project: "Exotic Species Day Camp for Educators," American Distance Education Consortium, 1999
  • Bronze Award for Poster Design - Zebra Mussel Video, Ag Communicator in Education, 1999
  • Blue Ribbon Award for Educational Materials, Zebra Mussel Mania Traveling Trunk, National Sea Grant Network, 1997
  • Gold Award for Zebra Mussel Mania Education Project, Agricultural Communicators in Education, 1996

GRANT PROJECTS

  • 2005-2010: COSEE Great Lakes, National Science Foundation and NOAA/National Sea Grant
  • 2004-06: Enriching Awareness about Fish Contaminants via Health Expos, US EPA-GLNPO
  • 2003-05: A National ANS Outreach Campaign for the Aquarium Industry and Hobbyist Consumers, NOAA-Sea Grant
  • 2001-03: ESCAPE from Exotics: Break Out of Your Classroom Routine by Exploring Exotic Aquatic Species, NOAA-Sea Grant
  • 1999-2001: Exotic Aquatics on the Move-A Geographic Education Project, NOAA-Sea Grant
  • 1997-99: Exotic Species Day Camp for Educators, NOAA-Sea Grant
  • 1995-1997: Zebra Mussel Mania Traveling Trunk Education Project, NOAA-Sea Grant

PRESENTATIONS AT EDUCATION CONFERENCES

  • American Water Resources Association
  • Chicago Wilderness Society at Field Museum
  • Environmental Education Association of Illinois
  • Midwest Environmental Educators Association
  • National Association of Biology Teachers
  • National Council for Geographic Education
  • National Marine Educators Association
  • National Science Teachers Association

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

  • Goettel, Robin G., "The Likely Suspects--Fish DNA Offers Clues to Water Contamination," The Promise of Biotechnology, University of Illinois Extension, 2000.
  • Goettel, Robin G., "Biotech Research Improves Fish on the Farm."  The Promise of Biotechnology, University of Illinois Extension, 2000.
  • Goettel, Robin G. and Sea Grant Staff. "Sea Grant: A Beacon to the Future," April, 1999.
  • Charlebois, Patrice M., J.E. Marsden, Robin Goettel, R.K. Wolfe, D.J. Jude, and S. Rudnika. The Round Goby, Neogobius melanostomus (Pallus) A Review of European and North American Literature. Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and Illinois Natural History Survey, 1997.
  • Goettel, Robin G. "Study Targets Potential for Human Health Risks Associated with Contaminated Waters," HELM magazine, Vol. 14, No. 1, Summer 1997.
  • Goettel, Robin G. Aquaculture Goes Interactive--Testing Dissolved Oxygen Using the Winkler Method. CD-Rom promotion, 1997.
  • Goettel, Robin G. Zebra Mussel Mania: An Exotic Adventure in Learning, in Proceedings of the 1997 American Water Resources Association Conference, AWRA, July 1997.
  • Goettel, Robin G. and Karen Sansone, Editors. Zebra Mussel Mania--teacher curriculum guide. Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Program, Revised May 1997.
  • Goettel, Robin G. "Aquaculture Holds Promise for Meeting Consumer Demand for Yellow Perch," HELM magazine, Vol 13, No. 1, Fall/Winter 1996.
  • Goettel, Robin G. and Linda Aylsworth. Two Traveling Trunk Adventures: Exotic Aquatics and Zebra Mussel Mania. Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and Minnesota Sea Grant College Programs, 1996.
  • Goettel, Robin G. and Agnes Dillon, Editors. Round Gobies Invade North America. Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Program, August 1995.
  • Goettel, Robin G. "Call for Wetlands Education Echoed Around the World," HELM Magazine. Vol. 10, No. 3, Spring 1994.
  • Goettel, Robin G. and Nancy F. Riggs, Sea Grant's Role in a Decade of Change, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, April 1993.
  • Goettel, Robin G., "Toxic Contaminants in Lake Michigan -- Sea Grant Program Explores Water Quality Effects," Illinois Research, Vol. 34, No. 4, 1992/93.
  • Goettel, Robin G., "Sea Grant's Gulliver the Talking Gull Discusses Great Lakes Issues from a 'Bird's Eye' View." Proceedings of The Fourth North American Symposium on Society and Resource management, May 1992.
  • Goettel, Robin G., Editor. Wetlands are Wonderlands, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Program, January 1992.
  • Goettel, Robin G., Editor. A Basic Overview of Aquaculture. Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Program, 1990.
  • Goettel, Robin G., Editor. Appreciating Your Great Lakes. Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Program, 1989.