Mari Weller, a physicist, grew up in a household where her parents modeled civic involvement and responsibility.  She sees no reason why that ethos should not be linked with improved learning in the science.  Working with her colleague Judith Iriarte-Gross, she has used her experience with SENCER to design courses that join science and civic engagement in the day-to-day learning experiences of students.   The curricular improvement initiatives Mari and Judith have undertaken have earned them development support from the National Science Foundation.  Their project is on track to become a new “umbrella course” at MTSU that will facilitate linking science learning to emerging civic issues. 

As a SENCER Leadership Fellows, both Mari and Judith plan to continue their course development efforts, to provide consultation to faculty colleagues who want to develop innovative courses, to work to strengthen regional collaborations, and to explore effective ways to encourage students to enroll in SENCER courses early in their college careers.

Mari was elected to the inaugural class of Leadership Fellows in July 2008.