Leah Simoni

Director of Outreach

(she/her/hers)

• lsimoni@indiana.edu
• 812-855-3180
• Biology Bldg. A400

Leah received her M.S. in ecology and evolution in 2012 from the University of Illinois at Chicago and her M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction 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.

Jean Lennon

Assistant Director of Outreach

(she/her/hers)

• jeanlenn@iu.edu

Jean has a B.S. in biology from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, NY. Her work experience includes managing a forest ecology project with salamanders at the Huyck Preserve, protein purification optimization at Stryker Biotech, and cereal product development at Post Foods. She has also found ways to share her passions as a camp counselor, tour guide at a nature preserve, volleyball coach, and volunteer in preschool and elementary classrooms. She joined the Biology Outreach team in 2016.

Ellen Barker

Outreach Staff Member

• ehbarker@iu.edu

Ellen received her B.S. in middle school science, math, and social studies from the University of Louisiana in 2010. She taught middle school in South Louisiana as well as adult education to students aspiring to earn their GED at a local community college. Upon moving to Bloomington, she has taught preschool and has enjoyed working with Biology Outreach since the spring of 2017.

Chris Dinges

Outreach Staff Member

• cdinges@iu.edu

Chris, aka Dinges, received his M.S. in psychology in 2017 at Oklahoma State University and joined Biology Outreach in 2018. His research explored psychological phenomena relevant to humans such as object permanence and depression, but in honey bees. What he enjoys most is teaching with live animals such as crickets, dogs, honey bees, roaches, snakes, turtles, wasps—you name it! He also dabbles in technology and engineering, designing and constructing apparatus for scientific studies. His passion is to teach a new generation of scientists to meld technology and engineering with observational science.

Amanda Kelly

Outreach Staff Member

• amlkelly@iu.edu

Amanda graduated from Indiana University in 2014 with a B.A. in biology and criminal justice and with minors in Spanish and animal behavior. As an undergraduate student, Amanda volunteered with Biology Outreach for four years and after graduation joined the outreach staff in 2014 and again in 2018 after a three-year position as a family caseworker. Amanda also works as a professional pet sitter, volunteers at Uplands PEAK Animal Sanctuary, and serves as the Education Chair for the Sassafras Audubon Society, where she organizes bird counts with local schools.

Anna Knust

Outreach Staff Member

• anmakows@iu.edu

Anna has a B.S. in environmental science from Indiana University and an M.S. in hydrogeology from the University of Nevada, Reno. Anna has worked as a research scientist, volleyball coach, environmental consultant, and fitness instructor. As both a parent and a preschool teacher, Anna loves sharing the wonders of the world with children through the lens of science. Anna joined the Biology Outreach team in 2018.

Diane Pikaard

Outreach Staff Member

• dpikaard@indiana.edu

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.

Rita Stephens

Outreach Staff Member

• ritastep@iu.edu

Rita received her B.A. in biology at Indiana University, M.S. in biology at Angelo State University in Texas, and M.Ed. in science education from University of Texas at Austin. Her emphasis in study has been with avian biology, ecology, and emphasizing the importance of evolutionary biology in all biology curricula. Rita’s teaching and curriculum experience includes teaching college biology, creating and instructing labs as a K-5 Science Specialist, coordinating revisions for high school AP biology textbooks, and lots of volunteer science teaching in K-12 classrooms and nature centers. She currently is a Sassafras Audubon Society board member, volunteers for the Human Origins and Primate Evolution lab at IU, and began working with Biology Outreach in 2018.