Research Experiences for Teachers
BIORETS
Meet Santa Cruz River BIORETS teachers, graduate mentors, and University of Arizona leads.
Santa Cruz River BIORETS, funded by the National Science Foundation since 2022, is an immersive summer research experience followed by a full year of learning and support. Middle and high school science teachers in the greater Tucson metro area, including the Tohono O'odham and Pascua Yaqui Nations, participate. The program is described by alumni as “life changing”.
UA Program Leadership
Michael Bogan overseas the research areas of BIORETS, including providing in-depth education on our regional water cycle, field research methods, data collection and visualization, more! Michael is an Associate Professor in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment. His research focuses on how disturbance and dispersal processes shape local and regional biodiversity patterns in aquatic and riparian ecosystems, including the impacts of drought on arid-land streams. In his spare time, he can be found hiking the Sierras, exploring tinajas (nature rain-fed rock tanks that hold water in dry areas), and keeping his dog Lola happy with endless ball-chasing in the park.
Jacqueline Bruhn is the BIORETS education specialist and administrative coordinator. She develops summer curriculum focused on building data science skills, place-based science learning, and bridging the summer experience into classroom curriculum. Jacqueline manages teacher communications and the Santa Cruz Connections website. Jacqueline is happiest outside, exploring the Sonoran Desert or in her garden collecting seeds, fixing irrigation, and drawing plants.
Margaret Wilch supports the implementation Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.
Graduate Mentor-Led Research
Bird Research
Bird Research Group something something transects and quadrats, and provides detailed instruction so teachers can do plant research on their campus. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem.
Pablo Rocha (2022) led the bird research group. He completed his PhD in Wildlife Conservation & Management in year. He is a natural resources biologist that specializes in avian ecology.
Dragonfly Research
Dragonfly Research Group something something dragonflies, and provides detailed instruction so teachers can continue research on their campus. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem.
Rocio Guzman (2023 - 2026) is a PhD student studying dragonflies and damselflies in both urban and riparian habitats. She leads the dragonfly and damselfly research group. Rocio provides training for teachers focusing on life cycle of dragonflies as well as how to identify, capture, and estimate populations. Rocio has been a teacher mentor since 2023.
Riparian Plant Research
Riparian Plant Research Group something something transects and quadrats, and provides detailed instruction so teachers can do plant research on their campus. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem.
Kat Sacoman (2023 - current) completed a MS focusing on riparian plant populations in the Santa Cruz River. Kat is currently the Garden Teacher at Manzo Elementary in Tucson.
Conor Handley (2022 mentor) is a PhD student and will be studying laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo.
Wildlife Research
Wildlife Camera Trapping Research Group something something animals and water and the river. and provides detailed instruction so teachers can do plant research on their campus. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem.
Allie Burnet (2022, 2023) student and will be studying SOMETHING to do with moths. Need more words here about Conor's second time as a mentor, and turtle details too.
Deandra Jones (2026) is a PhD student studying bear population and human-bear conflicts in the Chuska Mountains in the Navajo Nation. She leads the wildlife camera trapping crew, and will teach the whole group how to set up and use wildlife cameras to answer questions students may have. This is Deandra's first year as a BIORETS Graduate Mentor.
Graduate Student Led Research
Riparian Plant Research
Riparian Plant Research Group something something transects and quadrats, and provides detailed instruction so teachers can do plant research on their campus. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi.
Kat Sacoman (2023 - current) completed a MS focusing on riparian plant populations in the Santa Cruz River. Kat is currently the Garden Teacher at Manzo Elementary in Tucson.
Conor Handley (2022 mentor) is a PhD student and will be studying laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo.
2026-27 Teachers
Representing 12 schools across 6 districts from Nogales to Tucson.
Elementary School Teachers
Alison Knight is a 4th grade teacher at Holaway/Rio Vista in Tucson. She is looking forward to being part of BIORETS to deepen her understanding of environmental science and bring engaging, real-world learning experiences back to her students.
Kimberly Smith is a K-5 STEM and Gifted teacher at Holaway/Rio Vista, in Tucson. She is very excited to join BIORETS not only to gain new knowledge of our natural world but to also bring learning opportunities into her classes.
Middle School Teachers
Cinnamon Conrad is a 7th and 8th grade GATE math teacher at Alice Vail Middle School in Tucson. Cinnamon is looking forward to creating relevant math projects that incorporate science to make learning more engaging for her students.
Amanda Pellman is a middle school science teacher at Wakefield Middle School in Tucson, AZ. She applied to BIORETS to learn how she can use the Santa Cruz River and its local ecology to create authentic learning experiences for her students.
Wendy Peterson is a 7th and 8th grade English Language Arts and electives teacher at Doolen Middle School, in Tucson. Wendy plans to create interdisciplinary, inquiry-driven learning experiences that connect literacy with real-world environmental science in her classroom.
Rey Reyes is a middle school science teacher at Sierra K-8 in Tucson, Arizona. He applied to BIORETS because his undergraduate degree is hydrology and water sciences and he hopes to bring that discipline of science into his classroom in whatever way possible.
Rizza Earl Veverly A. Sible is an 8th grade science teacher at Doolen Middle School in Tucson. She applied to BIORETS because she loves science and wants to improve her research skills, teaching methods, and connection to nature and the Santa Cruz River.
High School Teachers
Victoria Bodanyi teaches Culturally Relevant History and Applied Sustainability at Pueblo High School in Tucson. She hopes to expand her knowledge of sustainability practices in the Sonoran Desert to enhance her curriculum.
Patrick Byrne teaches high school students at Cholla High School in Tucson. He applied to BIORETS because it engaged his curiosity of local science and how to bring it to his classroom to share with his students.
Tim Evans is a high school English teacher at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson. He is looking forward to the BIORETS program to learn about and experiment with more experiential learning in his Language Arts classes.
Chris James is an Environmental Science (AP/regular) and Anatomy & Physiology teacher at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson. Given his love for fieldwork in general and aquatic ecology in particular, there’s no way he wouldn’t apply for a program like BIORETS.
Erik Lehmkuhl is a Biotechnology teacher at Pueblo High School in Tucson. He is excited to incorporate more ecology and nature into his Biotech classroom and bring Pueblo students to the Santa Cruz River.
James Lopez teaches students in grades 9 through 12 at Sahuaro High School, in Tucson. James is looking forward to learning about the Santa Cruz River restoration project so that he can share local environmental success stories with his students!
Jordan Sene teaches in the Santa Cruz County USD in Rio Rico and at Pima Community College in Nogales. She is looking forward to building knowledge and skills to deepen students' connection to nature, culture, and place as part of BIORETS.
Alexis Trujillo is a high school biology teacher at Sahuaro High School in Tucson. She is doing BIORETS because she loves to be active and learn and sees this as a great opportunity to become a better teacher!
JohnWessley Young is a high school science teacher at Palo Verde High Magnet School in Tucson. His desire to be outdoors and do more hands-on research, pertaining to biology, led him to apply for the BIORETS program.