Biological 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. In his spare time, he can be found hiking the Sierras, exploring tinajas, 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 classroom curriculum focused on data science skills, place-based science learning, and bringing the summer experience back to students. Jacqueline is happiest outside, exploring the Sonoran Desert or in her garden collecting seeds, fixing irrigation, and drawing plants.
Margaret Wilch supports teachers in building data science skills and transferring their BIORETS experience into their classrooms. Margaret founded and co-leads Teachers in the Wild based at the Southwestern Research Station after teaching at Tucson High for 26 years. Margaret can be found in the Chiricahua Mountains, capturing the world around her in her sketchbook.
Research Groups
Bird Research
Bird Research Group focuses on riparian birds with teachers learning bird identification by sight and sound, the use of technology in bird surveys (e.g. Merlin app), and different ways that their students can document bird ecology at home, on their campuses, and along the Santa Cruz River.
Dragonfly Research
Dragonfly Research Group conducts dragonfly surveys at several locations on the river. Teachers learn distance sampling techniques, and quantify habitat characteristics relevant to dragonflies (e.g. vegetation type and structure).
Riparian Plant Research
Riparian Plant Research Group identifies riparian plants along the river, quantify plant populations biweekly across the summer, and also participate in active restoration activities (e.g. plantings) for culturally important riparian plants.
Turtle Research
Turtle Research Group conducts turtle surveys at 6 six sites along the Santa Cruz River, assessing populations of native and non-native turtles, taking biometric measurements of each individual turtle, and quantifying habitat characteristics that may influence turtle distribution (e.g. flow velocity, depth, benthic habitat structure).
Wildlife Camera Research
Wildlife Camera Research Group installs and maintain 30 wildlife cameras along the river in flowing and dry reaches, learn mammal identification techniques, and use image processing programs (e.g. Timelapse) to generate data.
2026-2027 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.
