Tammy Morgan
Biology Teacher
Lake Placid High School

 

I graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh with degrees in In Vitro Cell Biology and Environmental Science - then later in life returned to obtain a Master's in Education. Currently I am teaching AP Environmental Science, Biology and Chemistry labs and Biology classes at the Lake Placid High School in upstate NY. Prior to teaching I was a lab technician at the Cornell-Uhlein Potato Farm and then a reseach assistant at the Trudeau Institute in Dr. Richard Dutton's lab, studying CD8 T cell responses to influenza. While I sometimes miss the research, I find that teaching allows me to diversify and learn about many topics rather than focusing on just one.

Last summer I attended SETI's Astrobiology Summer Science Experience for Teachers (ASSET) program which turned me into an astrobiology enthusiast. The Voyage through Time Curriculum from SETI gave me some great ideas on how to integrate the physical and life sciences in the classroom. I discovered that students are fascinated with astronomy and by incorporating more earth science, chemistry, and physics into my biology lessons, they've started to understand living systems more fully. This Spaceward Bound field expedition will give me a chance to strengthen my own knowledge in an effort to continue developing lesson plans that will capture student interest. In my free time I try to spend as much time outside exploring the lakes and mountains of the Adirondacks with my husband and 3 children and am having a great time coaching our local U19 rugby teams.