Educational Crew
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Dr. Wendy Calvin, Planetary Science Advisor
Dr. Calvin is a Professor and Chair of Geological Sciences and Engineering in the Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering. She serves on the NASA Mars Exploration Rover Science Team and on the committee charged with determining where NASA should explore in the next decade. Her scientific discoveries have included identifying oxygen on Ganymede, large path lengths in ice for the seasonal polar cap of Mars, and identification of ammonia ices on Pluto’s satellite Charon. She continues to work with three active science instruments at Mars and is also the Director of the Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy. |
Dr. Melodi Rodrigue, Astrophysics Volunteer
Dr. Rodrigue did her doctoral research in the area of interacting galaxies, using such tools as the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Ultraviolet Explorer. Currently she teaches in the UNR Department of Physics and is respected for her ability to make courses relevant for introductory-level students and non-science students — as well as her gift for working with a wide range of learners of all ages. Rodrigue serves on the K-12 Northern Nevada Science Coalition, helped develop the UTeach program and Astronomical Measurements course at UNR and established the MacLean Observatory for students and fellow researchers. 
Dr. Richard Simmonds, Life Sciences Advisor
Dr. Simmonds spent six years with NASA where he managed the Animal Testing components of the Apollo Lunar Quarantine Program and a joint space biology program with the Soviet Union. His experiments flew on missions from Apollo through Skylab, including five mice on the last Moon mission. He also served at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD as Director of Instructional and Research Support and Associate Professor of Physiology and Surgery. He continues to teach at the University of Nevada Medical School and College of Agriculture, Biotechnology, and Natural Resources. |
Jenny McFarlane, Outreach Volunteer
Jenny is a certified secondary teacher, with a background in middle school methodology. In college, she traveled across Africa providing educational programs; she also loves working with students across northern Nevada as the Fleischmann Planetarium Education and Outreach Coordinator. This includes taking our mobile dome to schools from Gardnerville to Gerlach, providing programs and workshops for thousands of K-12 students. (She's also the best one to contact if you'd like to book a program.) Her email is: [email protected] 
Chef Craig Rodrigue, Food Science Advisor
Rodrigue was a master navigator in the Coast Guard, worked on an internet startup, and was trained as a classical chef. Yet another of his passions is teaching. Weekdays he works at TMCC, preparing his first-place-in-the-nation students for SkillsUSA competitions. Evenings, weekends and free time, he serves as a volunteer in a variety of educational programs in our community. |
