Newly elected CESI Board Members include two elementary Texas teachers -- Susana Ramirez, Pharr San Juan Alamo ISD, and Anne Durrance, Waco ISD.
Susana Ramirez is the Elementary Science Coordinator for Pharr San Juan Alamo ISD. She also serves as Treasurer for the Texas Science Educational Leadership Association (TSELA), President of the Texas Council of Elementary Science (TCES), and Grant Coordinator for the Rio Grande Valley Science Association (RGVSA). Susana is currently working with the NASA’s Texas Space Consortium, and UT of Austin, on a grant awarded from NASA in the amount of $750,000.00. Other honors include: Mentor Teacher of the Year for the state of Texas in 2005. Teacher of the Year at her campus in 2008 and received the Toyota Excellence Science Teacher of the Year in 2008. In 2009 she was named Texas Elementary Science Teacher of the year by the Texas Medical Association. She is an alumni for NASA LiftOff and a NASA Heliophysics Ambassador. In June of 2014 Susana co-author a paper for the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and it was selected for publication.
Anne Durrance teaches 4th grade science and mathematics at Rapoport North. Anne received her degree in early childhood education from Auburn University and has teacher certifications in Alabama, Georgia, and Texas. Teaching Science has become a passion for Anne. To date, Anne and her former students have hatched live chickens, hosted a beekeeper with a real beehive, and launched model rockets. Now, Anne and her students boast a new class pet – Sophie the hedgehog! Anne is working to introduce new technology into the classroom and is recognized as a NASA STEM teacher. She has recently served as a presenter at the National Science Teacher Association (NSTA) annual conference and presented at annual conferences for Science Teachers Association of Texas (STAT) and for the Alabama Science Teacher Association (ASTA).