The Ohio Academy of Science

Member of the Board of Trustees

Christina worked at The Ohio Academy of Science as a Member of the Board of Trustees

National Science Teachers Association

Member - Committee on High School Science Teaching

Christina worked at National Science Teachers Association as a Member - Committee on High School Science Teaching

Dayton Public School District

High School Science Teacher

- Taught Physics and Biology
- Dayton Regional STEM Fellow (2014-2015)
- Serve on Dayton Public Schools Science and Technology Fair Core Committee
- Advisor for Science Club at Stivers School for the Arts

Carroll High School

Science Teacher

- Teach AP Biology, Honors Chemistry and Physics.
- 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 Winner of Ohio Academy of Science Edison Award.
- 2015 & 2017 Innovative Teaching Grant recipient
- Mentor students in development of their independent research / science fair projects.
- Founding head coach of the Science Olympiad teams.
- Mentor for iGEM team

MVCTC

Science Instructor

- Taught Earth Science
- Provide Earth Science instructional activities consistent with the objectives of the academic program in particular, the MVCTC in general and the approved academic content standards of Ohio based on the needs and abilities of students.
- Direct the learning experiences of the students, including skill development, human relations, and leadership qualities which are necessary to obtain gainful employment.

FIRST

- Manage student resources and teach FIRST curriculum in STEM projects and robotics for 9 elementary students.
- Supervise students at weekend competitions.
- Collaborate with assistant coach, parents, FIRST staff.

Deep echinoderm phylogeny preserved in organic molecules from Paleozoic fossils

Geology

Isolation of organic molecules directly from Paleozoic to Cenozoic fossils has been documented, which raises important, new questions about the conditions of preservation and the range of paleobiological issues that can be addressed with these new data. Herein, molecules are isolated from fossil echinoderms exceeding 445 Ma in age. Previously, morphological data have been insufficient to establish a consensus regarding early echinoderm evolution. Thus, organic molecules extracted from fossil echinoderm specimens (mostly Paleozoic) belonging to the classes Asteroidea, Blastoidea, Crinoidea, Diploporita, Echinoidea, and Edrioasteroidea are used to assess the position of crinoids and blastozoans within competing echinoderm phylogenetic hypotheses. Fluorescence excitation-emission spectroscopy of organic molecules in fossil extracts are used to compare relationships among hypotheses. These new data support the hypothesis that living eleutherozoans diverged early from stemmed echinoderms, crinoids are nested within the clade that includes other blastozoans, and edrioasteroids are a distinct clade.

Deep echinoderm phylogeny preserved in organic molecules from Paleozoic fossils

Geology

Isolation of organic molecules directly from Paleozoic to Cenozoic fossils has been documented, which raises important, new questions about the conditions of preservation and the range of paleobiological issues that can be addressed with these new data. Herein, molecules are isolated from fossil echinoderms exceeding 445 Ma in age. Previously, morphological data have been insufficient to establish a consensus regarding early echinoderm evolution. Thus, organic molecules extracted from fossil echinoderm specimens (mostly Paleozoic) belonging to the classes Asteroidea, Blastoidea, Crinoidea, Diploporita, Echinoidea, and Edrioasteroidea are used to assess the position of crinoids and blastozoans within competing echinoderm phylogenetic hypotheses. Fluorescence excitation-emission spectroscopy of organic molecules in fossil extracts are used to compare relationships among hypotheses. These new data support the hypothesis that living eleutherozoans diverged early from stemmed echinoderms, crinoids are nested within the clade that includes other blastozoans, and edrioasteroids are a distinct clade.

Great Dayton Flood Inquiry Unit: Celebrating the Centennial of a Defining Flood in American History

The National Earth Science Teachers Association

Flooding is a natural phenomenon many students have experienced on a first-hand basis. Students may either know someone who has been affected by floods or have witnessed its effects directly through observations of local creeks and rivers. This flood unit uses experiential and place-based learning to educate high school earth science students about the scientific phenomena of flooding through a multi-subject, integrated unit. Students use historical records and maps to calculate the rate and volume of flooding, and are able to use this knowledge to critically evaluate flood mitigation systems in other locations. This allows students to apply techniques from all four of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines in order to allow students to see and understand the interconnectedness of multiple academic disciplines, including but not limited to Social Studies, English Language Arts (ELA), and STEM through the lens of Science, Technology, and Society (STS).

Deep echinoderm phylogeny preserved in organic molecules from Paleozoic fossils

Geology

Isolation of organic molecules directly from Paleozoic to Cenozoic fossils has been documented, which raises important, new questions about the conditions of preservation and the range of paleobiological issues that can be addressed with these new data. Herein, molecules are isolated from fossil echinoderms exceeding 445 Ma in age. Previously, morphological data have been insufficient to establish a consensus regarding early echinoderm evolution. Thus, organic molecules extracted from fossil echinoderm specimens (mostly Paleozoic) belonging to the classes Asteroidea, Blastoidea, Crinoidea, Diploporita, Echinoidea, and Edrioasteroidea are used to assess the position of crinoids and blastozoans within competing echinoderm phylogenetic hypotheses. Fluorescence excitation-emission spectroscopy of organic molecules in fossil extracts are used to compare relationships among hypotheses. These new data support the hypothesis that living eleutherozoans diverged early from stemmed echinoderms, crinoids are nested within the clade that includes other blastozoans, and edrioasteroids are a distinct clade.

Great Dayton Flood Inquiry Unit: Celebrating the Centennial of a Defining Flood in American History

The National Earth Science Teachers Association

Flooding is a natural phenomenon many students have experienced on a first-hand basis. Students may either know someone who has been affected by floods or have witnessed its effects directly through observations of local creeks and rivers. This flood unit uses experiential and place-based learning to educate high school earth science students about the scientific phenomena of flooding through a multi-subject, integrated unit. Students use historical records and maps to calculate the rate and volume of flooding, and are able to use this knowledge to critically evaluate flood mitigation systems in other locations. This allows students to apply techniques from all four of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines in order to allow students to see and understand the interconnectedness of multiple academic disciplines, including but not limited to Social Studies, English Language Arts (ELA), and STEM through the lens of Science, Technology, and Society (STS).

Crinoid biomarkers (Borden Group, Mississippian): Implications for phylogeny.

Echinoderm Paleobiology, Indiana University Press, Bloomington

Free link: http://geology.geoscienceworld.org/content/41/3/347.full?ijkey=afN62Tci6dkaw&keytype=ref&siteid=gsgeology

Deep echinoderm phylogeny preserved in organic molecules from Paleozoic fossils

Geology

Isolation of organic molecules directly from Paleozoic to Cenozoic fossils has been documented, which raises important, new questions about the conditions of preservation and the range of paleobiological issues that can be addressed with these new data. Herein, molecules are isolated from fossil echinoderms exceeding 445 Ma in age. Previously, morphological data have been insufficient to establish a consensus regarding early echinoderm evolution. Thus, organic molecules extracted from fossil echinoderm specimens (mostly Paleozoic) belonging to the classes Asteroidea, Blastoidea, Crinoidea, Diploporita, Echinoidea, and Edrioasteroidea are used to assess the position of crinoids and blastozoans within competing echinoderm phylogenetic hypotheses. Fluorescence excitation-emission spectroscopy of organic molecules in fossil extracts are used to compare relationships among hypotheses. These new data support the hypothesis that living eleutherozoans diverged early from stemmed echinoderms, crinoids are nested within the clade that includes other blastozoans, and edrioasteroids are a distinct clade.

Great Dayton Flood Inquiry Unit: Celebrating the Centennial of a Defining Flood in American History

The National Earth Science Teachers Association

Flooding is a natural phenomenon many students have experienced on a first-hand basis. Students may either know someone who has been affected by floods or have witnessed its effects directly through observations of local creeks and rivers. This flood unit uses experiential and place-based learning to educate high school earth science students about the scientific phenomena of flooding through a multi-subject, integrated unit. Students use historical records and maps to calculate the rate and volume of flooding, and are able to use this knowledge to critically evaluate flood mitigation systems in other locations. This allows students to apply techniques from all four of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines in order to allow students to see and understand the interconnectedness of multiple academic disciplines, including but not limited to Social Studies, English Language Arts (ELA), and STEM through the lens of Science, Technology, and Society (STS).

Crinoid biomarkers (Borden Group, Mississippian): Implications for phylogeny.

Echinoderm Paleobiology, Indiana University Press, Bloomington

Free link: http://geology.geoscienceworld.org/content/41/3/347.full?ijkey=afN62Tci6dkaw&keytype=ref&siteid=gsgeology

Isolation and characterization of the earliest taxon-specific organic molecules (Mississippian, Crinoidea)

Geology/Geological Society of America

Biomarkers and other ancient preserved molecules are rapidly being discovered and used to study the evolution of life on Earth. We report the existence of echinoderm-specific organic molecules from different lower Mississippian (340 Ma) crinoid species that occur in the same sedimentary bed. These are the oldest examples of biomarker molecules extracted directly from fossilized remains. These biomarker molecules appear to resemble aromatic or polyaromatic quinones, based upon ultraviolet and visible light spectroscopy, fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy, and electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Results suggest that the preservation of diagnostic organic molecules is much more common that previously realized, and that preserved organic molecules may provide an independent method to unravel phylogenetic relationships among echinoderms and, perhaps, other fossilized organisms.

Deep echinoderm phylogeny preserved in organic molecules from Paleozoic fossils

Geology

Isolation of organic molecules directly from Paleozoic to Cenozoic fossils has been documented, which raises important, new questions about the conditions of preservation and the range of paleobiological issues that can be addressed with these new data. Herein, molecules are isolated from fossil echinoderms exceeding 445 Ma in age. Previously, morphological data have been insufficient to establish a consensus regarding early echinoderm evolution. Thus, organic molecules extracted from fossil echinoderm specimens (mostly Paleozoic) belonging to the classes Asteroidea, Blastoidea, Crinoidea, Diploporita, Echinoidea, and Edrioasteroidea are used to assess the position of crinoids and blastozoans within competing echinoderm phylogenetic hypotheses. Fluorescence excitation-emission spectroscopy of organic molecules in fossil extracts are used to compare relationships among hypotheses. These new data support the hypothesis that living eleutherozoans diverged early from stemmed echinoderms, crinoids are nested within the clade that includes other blastozoans, and edrioasteroids are a distinct clade.

Great Dayton Flood Inquiry Unit: Celebrating the Centennial of a Defining Flood in American History

The National Earth Science Teachers Association

Flooding is a natural phenomenon many students have experienced on a first-hand basis. Students may either know someone who has been affected by floods or have witnessed its effects directly through observations of local creeks and rivers. This flood unit uses experiential and place-based learning to educate high school earth science students about the scientific phenomena of flooding through a multi-subject, integrated unit. Students use historical records and maps to calculate the rate and volume of flooding, and are able to use this knowledge to critically evaluate flood mitigation systems in other locations. This allows students to apply techniques from all four of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines in order to allow students to see and understand the interconnectedness of multiple academic disciplines, including but not limited to Social Studies, English Language Arts (ELA), and STEM through the lens of Science, Technology, and Society (STS).

Crinoid biomarkers (Borden Group, Mississippian): Implications for phylogeny.

Echinoderm Paleobiology, Indiana University Press, Bloomington

Free link: http://geology.geoscienceworld.org/content/41/3/347.full?ijkey=afN62Tci6dkaw&keytype=ref&siteid=gsgeology

Isolation and characterization of the earliest taxon-specific organic molecules (Mississippian, Crinoidea)

Geology/Geological Society of America

Biomarkers and other ancient preserved molecules are rapidly being discovered and used to study the evolution of life on Earth. We report the existence of echinoderm-specific organic molecules from different lower Mississippian (340 Ma) crinoid species that occur in the same sedimentary bed. These are the oldest examples of biomarker molecules extracted directly from fossilized remains. These biomarker molecules appear to resemble aromatic or polyaromatic quinones, based upon ultraviolet and visible light spectroscopy, fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy, and electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Results suggest that the preservation of diagnostic organic molecules is much more common that previously realized, and that preserved organic molecules may provide an independent method to unravel phylogenetic relationships among echinoderms and, perhaps, other fossilized organisms.