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Sharing a Passion for Science

Meghan Hooper-JacksonAfter receiving a degree in environmental science and management, Meghan Hooper-Jackson ’14 worked as a wetland biologist for an environmental consulting firm in Florida for five years before deciding that she needed a career change.

“I absolutely loved the days when I was in the field and experiencing the natural environment, but at the end of the day my job was to advocate for clients that did not have the environment in their best interest. I found myself feeling quite unfulfilled,” Hooper-Jackson explained. “As I started to consider a career change, I saw teaching as a way to make a real impact.”

She turned to �鶹��ý���� to continue her studies in Elementary Education.

Hooper-Jackson has worked for Hamilton Township School District since 2016, and currently teaches seventh grade science at William Davies Middle School. “As a science teacher, I can now share my passion for science with my students and show them how amazing our planet is,” she explained.

Hooper-Jackson also presents at American Association of University Women’s (AAUW) programs held at �鶹��ý����. This summer, she will teach water conservation and wetland protection at Tech Trek, a weeklong STEM camp for girls.

“I love that I get to be a part of AAUW activities geared towards bridging the gender gap in STEAM fields,” she said. 

— Meaghan Haugh Resta

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CSI of Speech

Amee Shah Growing up in Bombay, India, Amee Shah heard hundreds of dialects and grew curious as to what changes were made in speech to create these different languages.

Shah, who speaks seven languages, was intrigued by the technical aspects of speech science, including measurements and visual representations of spectrograms. She pursued dual undergraduate degrees in Speech Pathology and Audiology, and a master’s degree in Linguistics from Bombay University; two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. from City University of New York; and a post-doctorate from McGill University in Montreal.
At �鶹��ý����, Shah is associate professor of Health Science and principal investigator at the Cross-Cultural Speech, Language & Acoustics Lab. She is working with students in the lab to research speech science, language and accents. The researchers are also fusing art and technology to make the science more interactive and creative.

“We are using forensic speech science, graphic arts and hand drawings to develop apps and books that can help students understand accents; quit smoking; measure fitness levels for athletes; and help singers use optimal pitch and vocal mechanisms. We are also incorporating theatre techniques, such as miming and acting, to develop interactive presentations for middle and high schoolers,” Shah said. 

— Christina Butterfield ’09

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Connecting Youth to STEM

Dawn Watkins
Raising a teenage boy as a single mom can be a full-time job in itself, but that doesn’t stop Dawn Watkins from volunteering h