NASA Playground: Engage with Space Science!

Sherry Bosch is a connection maker! As a professional learning ISTE project manager, Sherry has managed ISTE’s partnership work with NASA over the past 8 years. Sherry has produced many ISTE webinars, virtual workshops, and virtual conferences, as well as managed online courses, offering replicable instructional strategies based on the ISTE Standards for educators and leaders to transform teaching and learning.

Mark is an ISTE STEM PLN Leader and NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador who has been involved in formal and informal education for 25 years. He is an astronomer, geologist, and planetarian who is passionate about conducting educational public outreach and bringing the concepts of science and astronomy down to the human level of understanding. Mark is also an avid photographer and astro-photographer who enjoys observing and imaging the night sky through his telescopes and cameras. For Mark, it is the darkness and beauty of the night sky that brings light to his day.

Rhonda Christensen, Ph.D. is Research Professor in the Learning Technologies Department in the College of Information at the University of North Texas. She is a co-director of the Institute for the Integration of Technology into Teaching and Learning. Her research interests include the impact of technology integration in education, enhancing STEM education in middle schools, and mobile learning in education. Rhonda was an elementary classroom teacher for 3 years and an instructional technology specialist in a preK-8 school for 4 years. She has been teaching technology integration to preservice and inservice teachers for more than 20 years.

Since 2008, Sarah Eyermann has used her physics/astronomy Master's degree to develop curricula and resources about NASA science for out-of-school time audiences. She has also presented professional development workshops at a number of conferences about NASA's free education resources.

Leslie Garrison is the Sr. Outreach Coordinator for the NASA MMS Mission. She has more than 20 years experience teaching, coaching, mentoring and facilitating professional development trainings. As a NASA Outreach Coordinator, Leslie has the pleasure of supporting youth groups, the general public, educators/pre-service teachers in the USA and abroad. She is a member of the NASA Space Science Education Consortium (NSSEC) and the NASA Goddard Speakers Bureau. Leslie supports several NASA education groups such as the NASA Goddard STEAM Innovation Lab, the NASA Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) and NASAs Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP).

Dr. Gerald Knezek is Regents Professor of Learning Technologies at the University of North Texas (https://lt.unt.edu) and Co-Director of the Institute for the Integration of Technology into Teaching & Learning (http://iittl.unt.edu). He is a former Co-Chair of the ISTE International Committee and Past President of the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education (https://site.aace.org).

Dr. Paula Klonowski Leach is the director of Longwood University’s Institute for Teaching through Technology and Innovative Practices (ITTIP). She has lent her expertise on K-12 projects at the local, state, national, and international levels including project development, instructional delivery for adults and students related to STEM content, project management, and as a member of multiple state STEM organization boards. Dr. Leach is also an ISTE STEM PLN Leader and NASA Solar System Ambassador.

David Lockett has served as an elementary and middle STEM and Computer Science teacher 15 years. As a national leader in STEM, leading both statewide and national initiatives. Lockett’s philosophy of “STEM for ALL” has been at the heart of his STEM outreach and advocacy work. He is currently an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow.

Ms. Milotte joined the NASA team in late 2018 as an education specialist with over a decade of science education experience. She brings a wealth of knowledge about engaging students, ages 10 and up, in science exploration in a variety of educational settings, including public, private, and higher education institutions, as well as extensive knowledge in engaging students in outdoor educational experiences. Her diverse professional educator portfolio includes a variety of leadership roles, with an emphasis on mentoring and inspiring teachers to incorporate authentic learning challenges into their curricula.

Sara Mitchell leads the Astrophysics Education Team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. For the past 17 years, she has developed educational resources, focusing especially on engaging families and underserved audiences. Sara co-founded the NASA Family Science Night program in 2006, and has led the program since 2013.

Dr. Sten Odenwald is an astrophysicist and award-winning science popularizer who was involved with science education for the COBE, IMAGE, Hinode and InSight spacecraft, as well as the Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum. He currently works with the NASA Space Science Education Consortium to create innovative educator resources featuring smartphone technology and topics in basic math, physics and space science. His math resources can be found at SpaceMath@NASA located at http://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov.

Kaushal Patel is a Web Developer for NSSEC. He is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining the visual and functional elements of the STEM Innovation Lab website.

Stephanie is a STEM Learning Specialist at Longwood University's ITTIP where she focuses on providing STEM learning experiences for teachers and students in the PK-12 environments. She is currently a PhD candidate working on validating a STEM Career Interest Survey for grades 2-4. Additional research interests include global education experiences, computer science and computational thinking concepts. Stephanie is also an ISTE STEM PLN Leader and NASA Solar System Ambassador.


Lani Sasser is a technology specialist supporting the NASA STEM Innovation Lab. She specializes in Information Science, lab administration, and developmental logistics for the travel lab.

Denise Wright, is a STEM Educator in Myrtle Beach, SC . She is a member of ISTE STEM , IVC leadership teams, volunteers for NASA as a Solar System Ambassador, piloted a distance learning telescope to be used in classrooms across South Carolina, and founded the amateur astronomy group, Grand Strand Astronomers in her local community. Denise, was recently appointed to the National Astronomy Educator Coordinators Team with the IAU and attended the 2018 launch of NASA's Parker Solar Probe. Her passions include astronomy, artificial intelligence, and learning about emerging technologies. She is an author for NSTA's Science Scope. Her column is called "The Online Teacher."