Outreach Coordinators

Diane Pikkard

Director of Outreach

dpikaard@indiana.edu
Jordan Hall A400

Diane received a B.S. degree in Horticulture from The Pennsylvania State University and an Associate Degree in Early Care and Education. Diane’s work experiences include research in biology laboratories, teaching in preschool classrooms, serving as early childhood STEM outreach coordinator at IU’s School of Education’s P-16 Center, and collaborating with WonderLab Museum to develop preschool teacher science workshops. She began working with Biology Outreach in 2011 to help coordinate the kindergarten outreach program.

Leah Simoni

Director of 3rd Grade Outreach

lsimoni@indiana.edu

Leah received her M.S. in Ecology and Evolution in 2012 from the University of Illinois at Chicago and her M.Ed. in Middle School Science Education in 2013 from the University of Maryland. She has taught Chicago high school students about urban ecology through inquiry-based techniques, been a nature camp instructor for elementary aged children in Bethesda, Maryland, as well as a camp teacher for WonderCamp at WonderLab Museum in Bloomington. She has been part of the Biology Outreach team since 2013.

Tara Darcy-Hall

Outreach Faculty Member

tldarcyh@indiana.edu

Tara received her Ph.D. in Ecology in 2004 from Michigan State University. Since moving to Bloomington in 2006, she has worked as a full-time mom, a free-lance editor, and an instructor in the Department of Biology. She began working with Biology Outreach in the fall of 2011; along with Diane, she coordinates visits and projects with local kindergarten classrooms.

Laura Mojonnier

Outreach Faculty Member

laumojon@indiana.edu
(812) 855-6347

Laura received a B.A. in Biology from Illinois Wesleyan University and a Ph.D. in Zoology from Duke University. She has studied both plants and animals and is fascinated by the natural world. Laura has taught college courses in ecology and environmental biology, run a microbiology teaching lab, and worked as an entomologist at a butterfly house and insectarium. At IU, she has taught "The Biology of the Senses" course for non-majors since 2006.

Annie Bowling

Outreach Staff

bowlinan@indiana.edu

Annie has an AS in Chemical Technology, BA in Zoology, and MS in Environmental Toxicology from Miami University, OH. As a graduate student, she taught courses in Limnology and Anatomy & Physiology. She has managed several research laboratories at various academic institutions including Miami University, Dartmouth College, and Indiana University. Her main research focus has been analytical chemistry in fields ranging from aquatic ecology to atmospheric chemistry. She joined the Outreach team in 2013, and has been involved in lesson development and teaching for both the kindergarten and third-grade programs.

Outreach Coordinators