Kathy Ellins

The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics

The University of Texas at Austin

Dr. Ellins holds a Ph.D. in Geography from Columbia University, a Masters in Science Teaching (MAT) from New York University and a B.A. in Geology from Skidmore College. Retired from the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Ellins consults on geoscience education projects and pursues a passion for painting people, pets, places, and plants. As an educator, Dr. Ellins is committed to engagement with external stakeholders and partners in academia, government and the private sector. She is knowledgeable in the scholarship of educational research. Her work focused on translating educational research into practice to improve science learning and reach the public through: (1) curriculum development for the Earth/ocean/climate sciences; (2) teacher professional development and teacher leader preparation; (3) multi-institutional collaboration to promote diversity in the geosciences at the K-12 and undergraduate levels; and (4) interdisciplinary projects. She mentored graduate and undergraduate students, and  K-12 educators. Dr. Ellins developed and taught 3 courses for pre-service STEM teachers and geology majors in the Jackson School of Geosciences based on content from 3 NSF-sponsored projects (GEO-1203021, DRL-1019815 and OEDG-0703687) and led the creation of online K-12 curriculum for the DIG Texas Instructional Blueprints for Teaching Earth Science projectWater Exploration and GeoFORCE Texas' 12th Grade Summer Academy. Current consulting projects include GeoASCEND and Geoscience Ambassadors and the NSF-sponsored MUSICA (Modeling, Uplift, Seismology, and Igneous geochemistry in the Colombian Andes project.  She is a Fulbright CORE Scholar and the 2017 recipient of the NAGT Neil Miner Award for exceptional contributions to the stimulation of interest in the Earth sciences.

Workshop Leader, Webinar Participant, Website Contributor

Website Content Contributions

Activity (1)

Reef Survivor Jamaica- Modification of an undergraduate geoscience board game for Jamaican communities (middle school children and adults) part of Earth Educators Rendezvous:Previous Rendezvous:Rendezvous 2023:Program:Share-a-thon:Tuesday
Educational geoscience games have been increasing in popularity because they promote learning through amusement and encourage learners to engage with complex systems. This educational board game teaches players ...

Conference Presentations (13)

Facilitating spaces of collaborative learning for geoconservation using a new board game, "Reef Survivor: Jamaica" part of Earth Educators Rendezvous:Previous Rendezvous:Rendezvous 2022:Program:Oral Sessions:Monday Oral Session A
"Reef Survivor: Jamaica" is an educational board game that incorporates elements of place-based education and Earth systems thinking to help players learn about reef ecology and resilience in the face of ...

Other Contributions (6)

Curiosity to Question: A New Model for Disciplinarily Diverse and Inclusive Course-Based Research Experiences part of Earth Educators Rendezvous:Previous Rendezvous:Rendezvous 2021:Program:Afternoon Workshops
Curiosity to Question (CtQ) is an emerging model for course-based research experiences that are diverse by design. By recruiting for diverse identities and disciplines, and by emphasizing open inquiry, peer ...

Communities

Workshop Leader

Workshop Participant (34 workshops)

Webinar Participant (5 webinars)