High school teacher from Elkhart, Indiana, attends Joint Science and Technology Institute East

August 2, 2022

Aberdeen, Md.—Erica Conley Shannon of Elkhart, Indiana, attended the Joint Science and Technology Institute East, a professional development opportunity to expand her knowledge and experience in science, technology, engineering and math.

Shannon is a biology teacher at Elkhart High School who collaborated with scientists and was mentored by a U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense Neuroscientist in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. She took part in a project titled “Planaria as a Model Organism for Screening Chemicals of Concern for Neurological Effects.” The goal of this project was to describe the characteristics of exposure to certain chemicals.

The educational program, held July 16-29, was a fully funded research opportunity for high school students and teachers from the United States and from U.S. Department of Defense schools around the world. It was sponsored by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and managed by Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. The program provides opportunities for teachers to learn new skills and conduct STEM research, to learn about emerging STEM careers and equip teachers to inspire their own students’ career paths. 

“Our goal was to excite teachers by immersing them in STEM activities in professional lab environments, and encourage them to carry this experience back to their classrooms,” said ORAU associate manager Jennifer Tyrell. “Based on the feedback we’ve gotten over the past two weeks, I think we’ve done just that!”

Learn more about JSTI and view the complete list of JSTI 2022 student and teacher participants.