Department of Biology

Tara received her Ph.D. in Ecology in 2004 from Michigan State University. Since moving to Bloomington in 2006, she has worked as a full-time mom, a free-lance editor, and an instructor in the Department of Biology. She began working with Biology Outreach in the fall of 2011; along with Diane, she coordinates visits and projects with local Kindergarten classrooms.

Joan has taught first, second, and third grades for more than twenty-five years. In 1997, she was recognized by the National Association for the Education of Young Children as the outstanding teacher of the year.

Laura received a B.A. in Biology from Illinois Wesleyan University and a Ph.D. in Zoology from Duke University. She has studied both plants and animals and is fascinated by the natural world. Laura has taught college courses in ecology and environmental biology, run a microbiology teaching lab, and worked as an entomologist at a butterfly house and insectarium. She currently teaches "The Biology of the Senses" to non-majors at I.U.

Diane received her B.S. degree in Horticulture from The Pennsylvania State University, and her Associate Degree in Early Care and Education. She has worked in biology laboratories, as a preschool teacher, and as an outreach coordinator in early childhood STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) at I.U.'s Center for P-16 Research & Collaboration. She has collaborated with WonderLab Museum developing a Preschool Teacher Science Workshop Series supporting children's natural curiosity through science inquiry investigations.

Peggy received her B.A.S. in Zoology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, her M.S in Biology from the University of Michigan and her Ph.D. in Botany from Duke University. Her research focuses on the restoration of native plant communities. She teaches Environmental Biology for non-majors and has been working with K-12 teachers and their students for several years to develop programs that inspire an appreciation for the environment.