Jill Birren, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Degrees Held
- Ph.D., Washington University, Department ofEducation, Areas of Concentration: Science Education, Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Urban Education
- M.S. Oklahoma State University, Curriculum and Instruction
- B.S. John Brown University, Biochemistry
Research Interests
- Community activism toward environmental justice
- Citizen Science and Community Ecology
- Science learning through participation in socio-scientific policy controversy
Courses Taught
- Elementary Science Methods
- Middle/Secondary Science Methods
Recent Publications
In PressMcNew, J. (In Press). A ‘Tragic Dichotomy’: A case study of industrial lead contamination and management in Herculaneum, Missouri. In W. F. Tate (Ed.), Research on Schools, Neighborhoods, and Communities: Toward Civic Responsibility. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Education.
2004
McNew, J. (2004). Sink or swim: The transformative student teaching experience. In J. Weld (Ed.), The Game of Science Education. Boston, MA: Pearson Allyn & Bacon (80-102).
McNew, J. C., Weld, J., & Blake, R. (2004).Studying science teachers: Determining the impact of professional organization membership and standards use. The Science Teacher, 68(7), 32-37.
2000
McNew, J. (2000). Sink or Swim: A student teacher's reflections on becoming a science coach. The Clearinghouse, 74(1), 35-37.
1999
Weld, J., & McNew, J.C. (1999). Attitudes toward evolution. The Science Teacher. 66(9), 26-31.
Recent Presentations
McNew-Birren, J. C. (2011, April).A forced education: The environmental policy context for environmental education. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA.
McNew-Birren, J. C. (2010, May). Think globally, act locally: The complexity of citizen perspectives around local environmental contamination in Herculaneum, Missouri. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Denver, CO.
McNew, J. C. (2009, April). Science learning in confronting environmental lead contamination. Paper presented at the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, Garden Grove, CA.
McNew, J. C. (2009, March). Herculaneum, Missouri: The causes and consequences of industrial lead contamination. Paper presented at the Urban Affairs Association, Chicago, IL.
Duncan, G.A., McNew, J. (2007, April). Ways of seeing diversity: Methodological dilemmas in the study of urban youth. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.
Balcerzak, P., Elmesky, R., Gay, A., Iverson, J., McNew, J., Oliver, L. (2007, January). Design of a K-12 learning progression in sub-cellular processes. Symposium at the International Conference of the Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE), Clearwater, FL.
