Russanne Low

Senior Earth Scientist for Education and Public Outreach

Rusty Low, a national leader in geoscience education, joined the IGES team in 2009. As the Higher Education Working Group Lead for the NASA Earth Science Education and Public Outreach Forum, Dr. Low’s work focuses on geosciences education and outreach. She is currently engaged in several climate change research and education projects on the African continent and in the United States.

Prior to joining IGES, Dr. Low held leadership roles in several national and international Earth science education initiatives, including serving as Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE) between 2004-2006, and as the GLOBE Program’s International Coordinator for Africa and the Near East between 2007-2008 at the University Corporation of Atmospheric Research (UCAR). In addition, she has more than 10 years of experience developing on-line educational resources, a role she assumed in 1999 as a faculty developer with IGES’ Earth System Science Education Alliance (ESSEA).

Dr. Low earned a doctorate degree from the University of Minnesota in 2001, with a specialization in climate change, human impact, and the creation of anthropogenic landscapes in Central Europe during the Holocene. She also holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Maine, and degrees from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, and the Ludwig Maximilian Universitaet in Munich, Germany. Her professional affiliations include a faculty appointment at the School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; membership on the education advisory boards of the Centro Latinoamericano para las Artes, Ciencia y Educación (CLACE) and the Gulf Coast Ocean Observing System Education and Public Outreach (GCOOS), as well as on several professional scientific societies such as the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the Geological Society of America (GSA) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Recent publications and presentations: 

• Walker, C., Low, R., Zepeda, O. and Valdez, S. “The Science of Storytelling:  Indigenous Perspective in Environmental Change.”  Proceedings of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 2012 meeting. (In Press)
• “Introduction to Earth’s Dynamically Changing Climate” PBS/NASA Global Climate Change Modules (Illustrator L. Tenenbaum), 2012.
• “Impacts of a Warming Arctic” PBS/NASA Global Climate Change Modules (Illustrator L. Tenenbaum), 2012.
• Low, R., Gosselin, D., Haney, C, Larson-Miller, C., Mandryk, C., and Bonnstetter, R.  “Laboratory Earth Under the Lens: Diachronic Evaluation of an Integrated Graduate-Level On-line Earth System Science Course of Study.”  Presentation at the American Geophysical Union 2012 Fall Meeting. San Francisco, CA. December 2012.
• Boger, Rebecca, Low, R. and Gorokovich, Y.  “Climate Literacy: Higher Education Efforts in Climate Change Education.”  Presentation at the American Geophysical Union 2012 Fall Meeting. San Francisco, CA. December 2012.
• Mandryk, C. and Low, R. “Climate Change: Global and Local Discourses.” Presentation at the American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting. San Francisco, CA. November 2012.
• “Educating and Communicating about the Changing Planet: Activities of the NASA Earth EPO Forum.” Presentation at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 2012 meeting. Phoenix, AZ. August, 2012.
• With Mandryk, C.“Cross-cultural communication and cultural surprises: Unexpected issues and outcomes in a climate and sustainability education project for Latino K-5 Students.” Presentation at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 2012 meeting. Phoenix, AZ. August, 2012.
• With Gosselin, D. “Development of an Educator-Climatologist Learning Community (ECLC) using Web 2.0 and On- Line, Process-Oriented Climate Change Research and Educational Experiences & Global Climate Change Literacy for Educators: Using On-line Professional Development to Integrate Content and Pedagogy.” Presentation at the  TriAgency (NSF/NASA/NOAA) PI Meeting. Arlington, VA. April 2012. 
• “NASA Innovations in Climate Education:  Facilitating Broader Engagement  with NASA’s Higher Education Initiatives.” Presentation at the American Indian Higher Education Conference. Rapid City, SD. March 2012.
• With Gosselin, T.  “Promoting Natural Resources Education in K-12 Classrooms:  Developing Active Professional Learning Communities for Science Educators On-Line.” Presentation at the Undergraduate Education in Natural Resources Biennial Conference. Ft. Collins, CO. March 2012.
• With Schwerin, T.  “Get Involved!  Emerging opportunities for 2-year institutions and faculty through NASA’s EPO Forum.” Presentation at the Innovations 2012 Conference. Philadelphia, PA. March 2012.
• “Teaching Climate Change” STEM Education Resource Center: Professional Development, 2011.
• Low, R., Gosselin, D. Oglesby, R., Larson-Miller, C., Thomas, J., and Malawagedara, R., “Integrating Scientific Content with Context to Connect Educators with the Complexities and Consequences of Climate Change” Presentation at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. San Francisco, CA. 2011.
• Boger, B., Low, R. and Gorokovich, Y. “Global Climate Change, Food Security, and Local Sustainability: Ways to Increase Climate Literacy in Urban Students through University Collaborations.” Presentation at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. San Francisco, CA. 2011.
• Low, R., Tenenbaum, L.F., and Schwerin, T.  “Creating a Buzz in the Classroom:  Proven Techniques for Integrating NASA Earth Science Visualizations, Multimedia and Interactives into Two-Year College Classrooms.” Presentation at the Geological Society of America Annual Meeting. Minneapolis, MN. 2011.
• With Kluger-Bell, B.  “Inquiry in the Climate Change Classroom.”  Center for Latin American Science and Arts (CLACE/OpEPA) Boulder, CO. September 2011.
• Low, R., Mandryk, C., and Maurin, P. “Global AND Local:  Activity-based Explorations Connecting Global Climate Change Processes to Changes in Students’ Own Communities.” Presentation at the Educator Workshop at the Astronomy Society of the Pacific National Conference. Baltimore, MD. August 2011.
• Steffen, P., Moravchik, B., Low, R. “Evidence-Based Science – Climate in the Classroom.” Presentation at the Educator Workshop at the Astronomy Society of the Pacific National Conference. Baltimore, MD. August 2011.
• With Mandryk, C. “Identifying Sources of Climate Change Misconceptions and Crafting Non-Ambiguous Climate Change Messages in Materials Developed for E/PO Audiences.” Presentation at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific Annual Meeting. Baltimore, MD. August 2011.
• Low, R., Gosselin, D., Woudenberg, D., Larson-Miller, C. Bonnstetter, R., and Thomas, J. “Global Climate Change Literacy for Educators: Using On-line Professional Development to Integrate Content and Pedagogy.” Presentation at the Tri-agency Climate Change Education Meeting. Fairfax, VA. March 2011.
• Gosselin, D. Low, R., Oglesby, R., Larson-Miller, C., Bonnstetter, R., Mawalagedara, R., and Thomas, J. “Development of an Educator-Climatologist Learning Community using Web 2.0 and On-line Process-Oriented Climate Change Research and Educational Experiences.” Presentation at the Triagency Climate Change Education Meeting. Fairfax, VA. March 2011. 
• “Teaching the Essential Principles of Climate Literacy in Middle and High School.” Presentation at the National Science Teachers Association Annual Meeting. San Francisco, CA. February  2011. 
• Low, R., CoBabe-Ammann, E., and Schultz, G.  “The NASA Science Mission Directorate Education Forum Working Group on Higher Education: Building and Supporting a Network that Targets the Next Generation STEM Workforce.” Presentation at the NSF Earth System Science Education Alliance Workshop.  Ithaca, NY. August 2011.
• CoBabe-Ammann, E., Low, R., and Schultz, G.  “The NASA Science Mission Directorate Education Forum Working Group on Higher Education: Building and Supporting a Network that Targets the Next Generation STEM Workforce.” Presentation at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific/Geological Society of America Joint Conference. Boulder, CO. July 2010.
• Low, R. Soeffling, C., and Schwerin, T.  “NASA Climate Resources for formal and informal education.” Presentation at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific/Geological Society of America Joint Conference. Boulder, CO. July 2010.
• Participation at “The challenge of communicating and teaching climate science in a climate of confusion and controversy” panel. NASA Earth Science E/PO Retreat. Warrenton, VA. May 2010.
• Organizer, “Meeting the Needs of Latino Students- Expert Panel Presentation.”NASA Earth Science E/PO Retreat. Warrenton, VA. May 2010.
• Woudenberg, D., D. C. Gosselin, R. J. Bonnstetter, C. S. Larson-Miller, and R. Low. “Global climate change literacy for educators: Using on-line professional development to integrate content and pedagogy.” Presentation at the American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting. Atlanta, GA. January 2010.
• With LaGrave, M. “Colorado Latino STEM Coalition.” Presentation at the National Association of State Science and Math Coalitions (NASSMC) Annual Coalition Directors’ Meeting.  Arlington VA, September 2009.
• “The GLOBE Program in Africa: Climate Change and Future Research Directions.” Presentation at the GLOBE Africa Consortium Regional Meeting. Cape Town, South Africa. June 2008.
• Schwerin, T., Botti, J., Low, R., Slattery, W., and Myers, R. “Earth System Science Education Alliance.” Journal of Geoscience Education, 54(3): 215-222. 2006.
• Few, A., Low, R. and Marlino, M.  “Conceptual Modeling as Pedagogy.”  Eos Transactions AGU, 2006.
• Few, A., Marlino, M. and Low, R. “Modeling in the Classroom:  An Evolving Tool.” Eos Transactions AGU, 2006.
• Low, R., Reap, M., Slattery, W., Crannell, J. and Hessler, E.  “Achieving Excellence in K-12 Earth Science Education:  The Critical Role of Geoscientists.” Eos Transactions. AGU 86(52), Fall Meet. Suppl. Abstract  U11C-07, 2005.
• Scotchmoor, J., Marlino, M. and Low, R.  Making a Broader Impact:  Geoscience Education, Public Outreach, and Criterion 2. Report of a workshop sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Berkeley, CA. May 2005.  
• Organizer, “Education in the Geosciences: K-16 and Beyond” Panel at the National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) Annual Symposium, Geological Society of America, St. Louis, MI. April 2004.
• With Brame, R. Presentation at the “Teaching with the new Minnesota Earth System Science Standards” Workshop co-sponsored by Science CentrUM, University of Minnesota, and American Geological Institute (AGI). Minnesota Science Teachers Association. Mankato, MN. April 2004.
• “School-based multidisciplinary teacher team building combining on-line professional development (ESSEA) and field-based environmental monitoring (GLOBE).” Eos Transactions. AGU 84(46), 2003.
• “You can’t always get what you want, but you can create what you need: The promise of DLESE for pre-service teacher education.” Eos Transactions. AGU 84(46), 2003.
• With Pandya, R. “Using DLESE to support Pre-Service Earth Science Teacher Training.” Presentation at the annual meeting of the National Science Teachers Association. Minneapolis, MN. October 2003.  
• Low, R., McGee, P and Metros, S. “Issues for Understanding Learning Objects in a Pedagogical Context.” Presentation at the National Learning Infrastructure Initiative (NLII) Annual Meeting. Columbus, OH. October 2003.
• Panelist and Facilitator at the “Preparing for an Academic Career in the Geosciences, On the Cutting Edge” panel. NSF Geosciences Early Career Workshop. Stanford, CA. August 2003.
• With Goldston, D. “ Collaborative research on on-line learning of Earth science teachers.” Presentation at the National Center for On-line Learning Research Conference.” Chicago, IL. April 2003.  
• Organizer of the “Developing the Earth Science Teacher Workforce” session. American Geophysical Union annual conference. Washington, DC. May 2003.
• “Trends in Federal Funding in Science Education.” Presentation at the Conference for Service Learning in Environmental Education. St. John, MN. March 2003.
• “Earth system science education:  Hybrid delivery for K-6 teachers.”  Eos Transactions. AGU 83(47), Fall Meeting Abstract No. ED61A 0015, 2002.