Diana Spencer taught 22 years in a high school classroom before completing her doctoral degree in the biomedical sciences going to Tulsa Community College. She has a passion for reaching out to high school and community college teachers around her and giving any support necessary to allow for dynamic investigative lab activities. During the last five years, while teaching at Tulsa Community College Southeast Campus, Diana was the Principal Investigator on a National Science Foundation Advanced Technology Grant. The $385,000 grant titled, Stimulating Enthusiasm, Exploration and Discovery through Biotechnology Education (SEEDBEd), involved academies for middle school teachers, high school teachers and high school students each summer for four years. Diana also taught a number of workshops throughout the school year. Also, during the past five years she invited 100 area high school students to the annual Biotechnology Extravaganza for high school students. The extravaganza included guest speakers for the students as well as five hands-on activities for each student. Diana also served as the Project Director for the National Institutes of Health ARRA project, Medicines, Explorations and Discoveries in Biotechnology Education (MEDBEd). This $500,000 grant trained 79 teachers in 57 schools with Diana presenting 134 hours of workshops. The teachers left each workshop with thousands of dollars of equipment to take to their home schools. Through the MEDBEd grant, Oklahoma high schools received $308,245.00 in equipment and reagents with outreach to 8261 science students in those classrooms. In addition to grant writing, Dr. Spencer has made many conference presentations in Oklahoma and on both coasts. The following presentations are only a representative sample of Diana’s numerous conference presentations. In 2007, 2008, and 2009 Diana presented at the NSF ATE Principal Investigators Conference in Washington, D.C. She presented workshops at the fall OSTA conferences in 2009 and 2010. She presented at the national Bio-Link Summer Fellows workshop in 2008 and 2010 in Berkeley, California. Also in 2008, Diana was in attendance at the BIO Annual International Convention in San Diego and worked the Oklahoma booth. While in San Diego, she presented at the National Biotechnology Teacher-Leader Program Best Practices Day. In the spring of 2008 in Washington, D.C. she presented at the D.C. Biotech Dissemination and Mentoring Conference. Diana was interviewed by the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST) and the interview was on the OCAST Innovations website as a podcast. Most recently, Dr. Spencer was invited to present a poster at the National Science Foundation Broadening Impact Conference in June of 2011. Diana’s professional involvement and professional activities have been numerous and of great value to many teachers and students.
As a result of Diana’s high quality of effective teaching, many former Jenks High School students were inspired to continue their quest for learning the biological sciences at the college level. Many have become professionals in various fields of science. Diana was well respected by her high school students as a master teacher. She was nominated by her colleagues and students for various awards including eight nominations for Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. She received numerous awards for her superior teaching at the high school level. While teaching at Tulsa Community College, Diana started a new Department of Biotechnology in 2007. Her biotechnology students have won numerous awards and scholarships and the new Department of Biotechnology has grown in student size by over 800% in only 5 years. A large part of this growth is a direct result of Diana’s students’ personal testimonials bringing new students into the program. Diana has also received numerous awards for her teaching and accomplishments while at Tulsa Community College. In addition, the biotech business community recognizes Diana’s students as highly qualified and is readily hiring graduates of the TCC program. Diana’s receipt of professional awards, her students’ receipt of academic awards, the growth of the TCC biotechnology program, and the successful careers of her students are all indicators of Diana’s highly effective and successful teaching techniques.
Please congratulate Dr. Diana Spencer, recognized at the OSTA Fall Conference with the 2011 OSTA Outstanding College/ University Teacher Award.