Wikipedia:Education Working Group/Working Group Members

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We had a number of exceptional proposals about what the future of the Education Program Structure would be. Choosing members of the Working Group was extremely difficult, and we thank everyone who applied for the time they took to share their vision for the future of the program. We hope the Working Group members will carefully consider a number of important points raised in everyone's proposal. The Working Group Kick-Off Meeting will be held July 16–17, 2012, in Washington, D.C., immediately following Wikimania. Working Group members Chanitra Bishop Regional Ambassador Indiana University Chanitra Bishop Briefly describe your current "day job" and what it entails on a daily basis. Text here If you had a bucket list of the top ten places in the world you wanted to see or do, what are your #1, #2 and #10 choices? Text here. Where were you on January 28, 1986, and what do you remember about that day? Text here. Other than your Wikimedia movement involvement, have you ever volunteered your time and/or services to a non-profit enterprise? If so, what enterprise and approximately how many days or hours/year? Text here. If you edit Wikipedia, what are your favorite topics and why? What Wikipedia article are you most proud of? Text here. What are your hobbies, leisure pursuits, etc.? When you are not working, what do you like to do most? Text here. Rebecca Burdette Campus Ambassador Louisiana State University Rebecca Burdette Briefly describe your current "day job" and what it entails on a daily basis. I work with LSU faculty across the disciplines to integrate communication-intensive activities into their courses in a manner that helps students improve their writing, speaking, visual, and technological communication skills while also learning course content at a deeper level. If you had a bucket list of the top ten places in the world you wanted to see or do, what are your #1, #2 and #10 choices? 1. Tahiti - there's something about a bungalow over the water... 2. Tuscany 10. Australia (although its probably more like #8) Where were you on January 28, 1986, and what do you remember about that day? I was in grade school, glued to the TV. That was the day I declared I wanted to be an astronaut and then didn't all in the same day. Other than your Wikimedia movement involvement, have you ever volunteered your time and/or services to a non-profit enterprise? If so, what enterprise and approximately how many days or hours/year? I enjoy outreach programs that involve youth eduction. Each school year I volunteer as a Junior Achievement instructor for 3rd graders and have been heavily involved in Louisiana 4-H Youth Leadership. I am an active member of the Junior League of Baton Rouge where I am the chairman of research and development, the committee that selects the volunteer organizations that our 1,000+ members will support. If you edit Wikipedia, what are your favorite topics and why? What Wikipedia article are you most proud of? I'm not a huge editor. I'd rather spend time help students contribute to articles they find interesting. What are your hobbies, leisure pursuits, etc.? When you are not working, what do you like to do most? Rarely am I not working, but I seem to find a few hours a week to feed my tennis addiction. Brian Carver Professor University of California, Berkeley Brian Carver Briefly describe your current "day job" and what it entails on a daily basis. Text here If you had a bucket list of the top ten places in the world you wanted to see or do, what are your #1, #2 and #10 choices? Text here. Where were you on January 28, 1986, and what do you remember about that day? Text here. Other than your Wikimedia movement involvement, have you ever volunteered your time and/or services to a non-profit enterprise? If so, what enterprise and approximately how many days or hours/year? Text here. If you edit Wikipedia, what are your favorite topics and why? What Wikipedia article are you most proud of? Text here. What are your hobbies, leisure pursuits, etc.? When you are not working, what do you like to do most? Text here. Mike Christie Online Ambassador Mike Christie Briefly describe your current "day job" and what it entails on a daily basis. I'm an IT manager for a radiology company on Long Island. I spend my day working with the IT team to manage our projects, and working with the rest of the management group. I do a variety of things from data analysis and reporting to strategic planning, and any number of odds and ends in between. If you had a bucket list of the top ten places in the world you wanted to see or do, what are your #1, #2 and #10 choices? 1. The South Pole and the research station there. 2. Bede's World 10. The Old Black Lion pub in Hay-on-Wye Where were you on January 28, 1986, and what do you remember about that day? I was in London, living in Plumstead and working in Acton. I didn't have a TV or radio and didn't get a paper delivered so I didn't find out about the disaster till the next day. Other than your Wikimedia movement involvement, have you ever volunteered your time and/or services to a non-profit enterprise? If so, what enterprise and approximately how many days or hours/year? I don't know if the Oxford English Dictionary's reading progamme counts; it was unpaid work but not for a charity. I helped to found the OED's science fiction words reading programme about ten years ago, and I still occasionally assist there. I've also done voluntary data entry work for the Internet Speculative Fiction Database. I was webmaster for the National Puzzlers' League for several years in the late 1990s. If you edit Wikipedia, what are your favorite topics and why? What Wikipedia article are you most proud of? I've written quite a few biographies of Anglo-Saxon kings such as Offa and Wulfhere, and also several articles on science fiction magazines, now mostly extinct, such as Astonishing Stories and New Worlds. Hard to pick a favourite, but I think Galaxy Science Fiction is quite good. What are your hobbies, leisure pursuits, etc.? When you are not working, what do you like to do most? At the moment I am involved with a web startup which is absorbing almost all my spare time. When I actually have spare time, I like editing Wikipedia, both reviewing and writing. I read a lot; the non-fiction is mostly history and science, and the fiction is anything that catches my eye from the New York Times Book Review. I collect old (pre-1980) science fiction; mainly magazines. My basement is filled with about fifteen or twenty thousand books and magazines. Bryan Cox Regional Ambassador Bryan Cox Briefly describe your current "day job" and what it entails on a daily basis. Text here If you had a bucket list of the top ten places in the world you wanted to see or do, what are your #1, #2 and #10 choices? Text here. Where were you on January 28, 1986, and what do you remember about that day? Text here. Other than your Wikimedia movement involvement, have you ever volunteered your time and/or services to a non-profit enterprise? If so, what enterprise and approximately how many days or hours/year? Text here. If you edit Wikipedia, what are your favorite topics and why? What Wikipedia article are you most proud of? Text here. What are your hobbies, leisure pursuits, etc.? When you are not working, what do you like to do most? Text here. Bob Cummings Professor University of Mississippi Bob Cummings Briefly describe your current "day job" and what it entails on a daily basis. Text here If you had a bucket list of the top ten places in the world you wanted to see or do, what are your #1, #2 and #10 choices? Text here. Where were you on January 28, 1986, and what do you remember about that day? Text here. Other than your Wikimedia movement involvement, have you ever volunteered your time and/or services to a non-profit enterprise? If so, what enterprise and approximately how many days or hours/year? Text here. If you edit Wikipedia, what are your favorite topics and why? What Wikipedia article are you most proud of? Text here. What are your hobbies, leisure pursuits, etc.? When you are not working, what do you like to do most? Text here. Patrick Earley Online Ambassador Patrick Earley Briefly describe your current "day job" and what it entails on a daily basis. I'm currently leading a crew of eight wildland firefighters for the Alberta forestry department. A good day involves jumping in a Bell 212 helicopter and heading off to a new fire. A day like today involves sitting in a trailer near the Athabasca Oil Sands, playing ping pong, and waiting for a call. In the winters I continue my seemingly never-ending education career, currently in library science. If you had a bucket list of the top ten places in the world you wanted to see or do, what are your #1, #2 and #10 choices? Various locations along the Trans-Siberian Railway, especially Lake Baikal Iceland Washington, D.C. ! Where were you on January 28, 1986, and what do you remember about that day? I was six years old in rural British Columbia. At that point, I believe we didn't have a television, so I probably didn't hear about the disaster until school the next day. I recall that being a very snowy winter, so my day probably involved a toboggan and various canine accomplices. And Lego after dinner. Other than your Wikimedia movement involvement, have you ever volunteered your time and/or services to a non-profit enterprise? If so, what enterprise and approximately how many days or hours/year? To be honest, Wikipedia really awakened the volunteer spirit in me for the first time. If you edit Wikipedia, what are your favorite topics and why? What Wikipedia article are you most proud of? I love geography, especially mountains and rivers. I also enjoy working on arts articles, especially independent rock albums, speculative fiction, and off-beat cinema. BLP articles also attract my attention, as I believe Wikipedians have a burden of responsibility to ensure that this project doesn't encourage the sort of hurtful tabloid gossip that flowers so easily on the 'net. I'm happy with Adams River (British Columbia), though there is lots more I could put in there. What are your hobbies, leisure pursuits, etc.? When you are not working, what do you like to do most? Hobbies include writing fiction, stop-motion animation, mountain climbing (only the easier ones), basketball, getting way too into HBO series, gazing longingly at maps, wandering around libraries, and exploring the endless backroads of my country. And clicking the bluelinks on Wikipedia. Shamira Gelbman Professor Wabash College Shamira Gelbman Briefly describe your current "day job" and what it entails on a daily basis. I was an assistant professor in the Politics and Government Department at Illinois State University until recently and will be starting a new faculty position in the Political Science Department at Wabash College in July. In the meantime, I'm working on a conference paper about the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and preparing to teach fall semester courses on political parties and public opinion in American politics. If you had a bucket list of the top ten places in the world you wanted to see or do, what are your #1, #2 and #10 choices? Text here. Where were you on January 28, 1986, and what do you remember about that day? A second grade classroom? Embarrassingly enough, I have no recollection of that day. Other than your Wikimedia movement involvement, have you ever volunteered your time and/or services to a non-profit enterprise? If so, what enterprise and approximately how many days or hours/year? Text here. If you edit Wikipedia, what are your favorite topics and why? What Wikipedia article are you most proud of? Text here. What are your hobbies, leisure pursuits, etc.? When you are not working, what do you like to do most? Text here. Richard Jensen Regional Ambassador Richard Jensen Briefly describe your current "day job" and what it entails on a daily basis. I'm retired from university teaching and spend my time reading & writing history (for Wikipedia and for paper encyclopedias, & also for papers at conferences.) My big project with my wife D'Ann Campbell is a history of women's roles in WW2 (covering all the major roles in 20 countries.) If you had a bucket list of the top ten places in the world you wanted to see or do, what are your #1, #2 and #10 choices? 1. museums in India; 2) museums in Germany; 10) visit relatives in South Australia Where were you on January 28, 1986, and what do you remember about that day? We were in Chicago -- D'Ann and I were both on sabbatical with our 6-month old twins. we were packing for a semester-long visiting professorship in Moscow. I watched the news about the space disaster all day & remember Reagan's speech. We later moved to New Hampshire; Astronaut Christa McAuliffe if she lived would have been the teacher for our kids, so we were continually reminded of that day. Liz, the older twin, for years wanted to be an astronaut in part because of all that (she is now a rocket scientist & designs space missions.) Other than your Wikimedia movement involvement, have you ever volunteered your time and/or services to a non-profit enterprise? If so, what enterprise and approximately how many days or hours/year? For several years in the mid 1990s I was very active in setting up email discussion groups for historians--H-NET. I set up over 90 of them. I still edit H-ETHNIC on a daily basis. If you edit Wikipedia, what are your favorite topics and why? What Wikipedia article are you most proud of? I write for Wikipedia to learn more history and historiography. Having taught US history for decades I find it more rewarding to explore other countries (esp. the British Empire.) The "War of 1812" article is my favorite and I'm giving a paper about how Wikipedia editors refought that war at the July Wickimania. What are your hobbies, leisure pursuits, etc.? When you are not working, what do you like to do most? I have always been a book collector; now I'm finally reading them. Richard Knipel Regional Ambassador Wikimedia New York City Richard Knipel Briefly describe your current "day job" and what it entails on a daily basis. Text here If you had a bucket list of the top ten places in the world you wanted to see or do, what are your #1, #2 and #10 choices? Text here. Where were you on January 28, 1986, and what do you remember about that day? Text here. Other than your Wikimedia movement involvement, have you ever volunteered your time and/or services to a non-profit enterprise? If so, what enterprise and approximately how many days or hours/year? Text here. If you edit Wikipedia, what are your favorite topics and why? What Wikipedia article are you most proud of? Text here. What are your hobbies, leisure pursuits, etc.? When you are not working, what do you like to do most? Text here. Jami Mathewson US/Canada Education Program Associate Wikimedia Foundation Jami Mathewson Briefly describe your current "day job" and what it entails on a daily basis. I help coordinate and strategically plan the future of the United States and Canada Education Programs. That often means collaborating with the community, mentoring Ambassadors and speaking with professors. If you had a bucket list of the top ten places in the world you wanted to see or do, what are your #1, #2 and #10 choices? 1. My current top spot goes out to visiting Rhode Island and Alaska, so I can finally knock out all 50 states. 2. Galapagos Islands (I want to hang with those tortoises!) 10. South Africa is probably somewhere in my top 10 places to visit. Where were you on January 28, 1986, and what do you remember about that day? I was almost an idea in my parents' head but was not yet on the planet for the Challenger disaster. Other than your Wikimedia movement involvement, have you ever volunteered your time and/or services to a non-profit enterprise? If so, what enterprise and approximately how many days or hours/year? I worked for my International Fraternity (Alpha Gamma Delta) for a year after serving for about 20 hours/week for four years in college. I've also served as a tutor to numerous underprivileged children and spent a lot of time with an organization that supports victims of domestic violence (which I unfortunately discovered is still a real threat to young women during that year as a consultant). If you edit Wikipedia, what are your favorite topics and why? What Wikipedia article are you most proud of? I've just begun making my first edits (mostly copyediting so far) within the last few months. I enjoy editing articles about the Atlanta Braves, but I've not yet started an article. What are your hobbies, leisure pursuits, etc.? When you are not working, what do you like to do most? I'm a pretty huge fan of travel and food. I don't know if you'd consider 'food' as a leisure pursuit, but I do. In fact, sometimes, it isn't even leisurely. Jenny Mikulay Assistant Professor Alverno College Jenny Mikulay Briefly describe your current "day job" and what it entails on a daily basis. I'm an educator. I lead classes in writing and media studies. I help students pursue their interests and strengthen their abilities every day. If you had a bucket list of the top ten places in the world you wanted to see or do, what are your #1, #2 and #10 choices? I don't keep a bucket list and my interests are constantly changing. Right now, #1 is Reykjavík and #2 is Brâncuşi's Endless Column. Where were you on January 28, 1986, and what do you remember about that day? I was in my high school journalism class working on an issue of the campus newspaper. I remember how quickly we had to shift gears from individually processing the event to deciding how the paper would cover it. I also remember how unusual it was to have TV news on inside a classroom. Other than your Wikimedia movement involvement, have you ever volunteered your time and/or services to a non-profit enterprise? If so, what enterprise and approximately how many days or hours/year? For ten years, I worked full-time in the non-profit sector, primarily in human services and cultural organizations. I also served as a volunteer at a food pantry and meal program 2 hours a week for 2 years, and I hosted a 1-hour public access TV program about community services twice a month for 3 years. Now, I'm a volunteer in an organic food co-op a few hours a month and do a lot of what I consider informal or freelance volunteering as an advocate for car-free living. If you edit Wikipedia, what are your favorite topics and why? What Wikipedia article are you most proud of? I like writing about public art. I'm most proud of the video content my students have contributed through Wikiproject Lights Camera Wiki--their tenacity in learning to use new technology and advocating for their contributions is inspiring. What are your hobbies, leisure pursuits, etc.? When you are not working, what do you like to do most? Especially during the beautiful Milwaukee summertime, I love to bicycle. Frank Schulenburg Director of Wikipedia Education Program Wikimedia Foundation Frank Schulenburg Briefly describe your current "day job" and what it entails on a daily basis. I'm working for the Wikimedia Foundation, overseeing the Global Education Program. Besides managing the members of my team, this entails creating and reviewing lots of documents as well as communications and planning work. Every now and then, I'm invited as a speaker to a conference. If you had a bucket list of the top ten places in the world you wanted to see or do, what are your #1, #2 and #10 choices? I'd like to see Japan and the Channel Islands. If I had the choice, I'd like to live in France again. Where were you on January 28, 1986, and what do you remember about that day? On that day, I was in Uelzen, a small town of the former Hanseatic League close to Hamburg, Germany. I don't remember much of that particular day. At that time, I was 15 years old and spent most of my free time with reading books about literature and philosophy. Other than your Wikimedia movement involvement, have you ever volunteered your time and/or services to a non-profit enterprise? If so, what enterprise and approximately how many days or hours/year? Back in Germany, I've volunteered quite a while for the Lutheran Church, working mostly with children under the age of 14. If you edit Wikipedia, what are your favorite topics and why? What Wikipedia article are you most proud of? I started writing Wikipedia articles about early modern history in 2005. After I moved the United States, I started contributing to articles about U.S. places and culture. I'm most proud of the articles Claude Bourgelat, Johann Heinrich Zedler and Friedrich Accum. What are your hobbies, leisure pursuits, etc.? When you are not working, what do you like to do most? I don't have that much free time. If I'm not working, I like to spend time with my wife. I also enjoy reading and taking photographs. Diana Strassmann Professor Rice University Diana Strassmann Briefly describe your current "day job" and what it entails on a daily basis. Text here If you had a bucket list of the top ten places in the world you wanted to see or do, what are your #1, #2 and #10 choices? Text here. Where were you on January 28, 1986, and what do you remember about that day? Text here. Other than your Wikimedia movement involvement, have you ever volunteered your time and/or services to a non-profit enterprise? If so, what enterprise and approximately how many days or hours/year? Text here. If you edit Wikipedia, what are your favorite topics and why? What Wikipedia article are you most proud of? Text here. What are your hobbies, leisure pursuits, etc.? When you are not working, what do you like to do most? Text here. Pine Regional Ambassador-in-training Pine If you had a bucket list of the top ten places in the world you wanted to see or do, what are your #1, #2 and #10 choices? My top ten list includes United Nations Headquarters especially the General Assembly Hall, the Eiffel Tower, and the Grand Canyon. Other than your Wikimedia movement involvement, have you ever volunteered your time and/or services to a non-profit enterprise? If so, what enterprise and approximately how many days or hours/year? I have volunteered for a variety of groups in civics and education. I would say that I've become a local expert on a civics issue. If you edit Wikipedia, what are your favorite topics and why? What Wikipedia article are you most proud of? One of my favorite places to visit is Featured Picture Candidates. I'm also one of the regulars at Wikiproject Business and Wikiproject Finance, and I recently joined the proposed Wikiproject Globalization. You can also find me on Freenode IRC in #wikipedia-en-help connect and #wikipedia-en-classroom connect where I offer assistance to Wikipedians including student editors. P.J. Tabit Campus Ambassador P.J. Tabit Briefly describe your current "day job" and what it entails on a daily basis. Text here If you had a bucket list of the top ten places in the world you wanted to see or do, what are your #1, #2 and #10 choices? Text here. Where were you on January 28, 1986, and what do you remember about that day? Text here. Other than your Wikimedia movement involvement, have you ever volunteered your time and/or services to a non-profit enterprise? If so, what enterprise and approximately how many days or hours/year? Text here. If you edit Wikipedia, what are your favorite topics and why? What Wikipedia article are you most proud of? Text here. What are your hobbies, leisure pursuits, etc.? When you are not working, what do you like to do most? Text here. Mike Cline Working Group facilitator Montana State University Mike Cline Briefly describe your current "day job" and what it entails on a daily basis. I am a full time consultant who teaches and facilitates a strategic planning and execution process. I spend 50-75 days a year with leadership groups, senior managers and project team in corporations, universities and government agencies facilitating the development and execution of enterprise and project strategies. I am a lead instructor/facilitator at the Prometheus Academy, a 5 day strategy course held 3 times annually in Montgomery, Alabama. If you had a bucket list of the top ten places in the world you wanted to see or do, what are your #1, #2 and #10 choices? 1 – Spend a few nights in the Oregon Caves Chateau which was architected and built by my wife’s great uncle Gust Lium 2 – Float and fly fish the Smith River (Montana) in Montana 10 – This will always be a longshot – Visit and fish in the Pantanal in Brazil Where were you on January 28, 1986, and what do you remember about that day? Of course this was the day of the Space Shuttle Challenger diaster. Although I was then stationed in London, I was working that day in Kaiserslautern, Germany. It was late afternoon and a group of us were watching the launch on AFRN. At the time, it seemed like it would change the whole future of the space program. Other than your Wikimedia movement involvement, have you ever volunteered your time and/or services to a non-profit enterprise? If so, what enterprise and approximately how many days or hours/year? I spend 4 days ever year as a volunteer for the Warriors and Quiet Waters Foundation of Bozeman helping wounded warriors learn to fly fish. I spend an coccasional day or so working on local Trout Unlimited and Madison River Foundation projects. If you edit Wikipedia, what are your favorite topics and why? What Wikipedia article are you most proud of? Fly Fishing, anything about the personalities and literature of fly fishing; Montana history, geography and biology; Yellowstone and Glacier history, geography and biology; Bibliographies. What are your hobbies, leisure pursuits, etc.? When you are not working, what do you like to do most? At my age, hobbies have come and gone over the years. But for the last 50 years fly fishing, fly tying and everything about the literature of fly fishing have been my main leisure activities. I do a fair amount of gardening when the weather permits as well. Annie Lin Working Group Advisor Wikimedia Foundation Annie Lin Briefly describe your current "day job" and what it entails on a daily basis. During the Public Policy Initiative days, I recruited, coordinated, and most directly worked with the program's participating professors and Campus Ambassadors. Now, I provide strategic support and program-design advice to Wikipedia education programs around the world, and currently I am directly involved in developing the Wikipedia Education Program's activities in the Arabic-speaking world. I also work to increase the effectiveness and sustainability of the Wikipedia Ambassador program on a global level. If you had a bucket list of the top ten places in the world you wanted to see or do, what are your #1, #2 and #10 choices? Honestly, I'd be interested in visiting as many countries in the world as I can. At the moment I am particularly interested in the Iberian Peninsula (maybe for the amazing architecture?), Bhutan and the region around it (for being wise enough to measure Gross National Happiness), and many U.S. states and Canadian provinces that I've not yet visited. Where were you on January 28, 1986, and what do you remember about that day? No consciousness... Other than your Wikimedia movement involvement, have you ever volunteered your time and/or services to a non-profit enterprise? If so, what enterprise and approximately how many days or hours/year? I was actively involved in founding and/or running several organizations on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley — including a new academic student journal, an organization that uses video production to raise awareness about social issues, and an organization that provides leadership training and teambuilding exercises for other student groups. More recently I've also served as the media consultant to a large international scholarly association. If you edit Wikipedia, what are your favorite topics and why? What Wikipedia article are you most proud of? I've not started any articles, but I've done a good amount of copyediting, small content edits, and image uploads. I actually recently compiled a list of start or stub class articles that I'm really interested in and want to improve substantially; somehow a lot of those articles are about food! What are your hobbies, leisure pursuits, etc.? When you are not working, what do you like to do most? I'm working most of the time, but on the occasions when I do have some leisurely time, here are some examples of things I like to do: reading non-fiction, relaxing at coffeeshops, learning to play new songs on the guitar, discussing social issues with friends, exploring new places, seeking out live music and local events, browsing outdoor markets (like farmers' markets or flea markets), trying out different kinds of food, doing web design and sometimes video production, learning new skills, and meeting new people. Sometimes I run around grass fields playing Capture the Flag too.