Eric Kessler
I am currently the Director
of the Bioscience Program for the Center for Advanced Professional Studies
(CAPS) in the Blue Valley School District where I facilitate courses
in both the molecular and environmental sciences. Students in our program, give up three
traditional classes in their home high school, and travel to our facility for a
single hands-on career-based course. Classes
meet for 2.5 hours a day for a semester affording time for our student to
conduct authentic research.
Previous to this position, I
was a biology instructor at Blue Valley North High School where
I taught freshman Biology and Honors Biology, as well as Field Biology,
Zoology, and AP Biology.
I hold the following degrees:
BS Zoology, University of Texas at Austin (1990)
BA Psychology, University of Texas at Austin (1990)
BA Education, University of Missouri at Kansas City (1992)
Masters in Biology, Emporia State University (1998)
Bioscience Instructor
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About
My fascination with biology can be traced to my obsession with capturing turtles by hand on our families annual canoe trips to the spring feed waters of south central Missouri.
After completing a series of undergraduate degrees, I became a biology instructor in the Kansas suburbs of Kansas City, Missouri. Soon after beginning this teaching stint, I completed research on the retreat-site selection of woodland snakes, and gained National Board Certification.
At the turn of the century, I took great effort in increasing my knowledge of the molecular bioscience, seeking professional development opportunities through the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, the Doland DNA Learning Center, the Center for BioMolecular Modeling at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, the PhageHunting Institute at the University of Pittsburgh, among others…
Three years ago, I left my position at Blue Valley North, and became the director of our district’s Bioscience Program at the Center for Advanced Professional Studies, where I teach authentic project-based courses in both the environmental , and molecular and microbial biosciences.
I have received numerous grants and awards including:
Blue Valley School District Secondary Teacher of the Year (2001)
RadioShack National Teacher (2002)
Milken Award Winner (2007)
Kansas Outstanding Biology Teacher (2009)
Bronze Salamander Award (2011)
Kansas Wildlife Educator of the Year (2011)
Otherwise, I enjoy reading and the outdoors, and spending time with my family. I am happily married and have three wonderful children, Maura, Rebecca, and Owen.
Joined
March 2013