Environmental Science

A biogeochemist by training, Dr. Shoemaker’s work has involved studying Earth’s biological systems using geochemical approaches. Her research focuses on understanding and predicting methane emissions from wetlands and forests and their impact on global climate. Her areas of academic expertise include: earth science, climate change, and carbon and methane biogeochemistry. At Lesley she is dedicated to mentoring her students.  She holds a PhD in Biology from Harvard.

Dr. Grace Ferris is part of the Natural Sciences and Mathematics Department as Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry. Dr. Ferris’s research work focuses on improving the synthesis of organic chemicals for biomedical and material sciences (Dissertation Title: Platinum-catalyzed 1,2-diboration of cis-substituted 1,3-dienes: A route to enantioenriched bifunctional allylboration reagents), as well as pedagogical research on how using just-in-time “deliberate practice” techniques in chemistry courses impact student learning.

In her most recent position as a chemistry instructor at Harvard University, Dr. Ferris worked on building community and increasing inclusion within the chemistry program. She focused on developing close mentoring relationships with first-generation and low-income college students, and directly increased their success and persistence in scientific fields. Her dedication to student success earned her one of Harvard’s top awards for Excellence in Mentorship. Dr. Ferris shows a strong passion for engaging students in research experiences and a dedication to ensuring that every student can pursue their educational goals despite any external or internal obstacles.

In her spare time, Dr. Ferris is an avid hiker, especially in the winter. She and her husband have completed 25 of the “winter 48,” peaks in the White Mountains with elevations over 4,000 feet.

Dr. Nicole Weber is an artful scientist, creating holistic ways to teach and study STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) topics. She teaches for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Lesley.

As the world becomes more culturally and biologically interconnected, people are becoming less connected to their natural surroundings. Through an intersection of conservation biology (research) and science education (application), Nicole bridges students’ scientific understanding to local issues in their community and natural environment on a personal, local, and global scale. She looks for ways of connecting conservation to students’ local community, through authentic experiences focused on social and environmental issues, to support students in developing a better understanding of common scientific misconceptions and the interplay of social and environmental issues.

In partnership with Susan Rauchwerk, Nicole also co-directs the EcoNet Lab, a creative space where educators can connect with scientists to create a learning community that supports local environmental literacy efforts, and has created a critical exploratory space for young minds (STEAM WonderLab). Their collaboration has begun a new dialogue around the embedded pedagogical goals within their science methods courses that ignited new research methods to study the pedagogical shift in a teacher’s experience.

Realizing the need and benefit of making the learning path more visual for students, Nicole enrolled in Lesley's MFA in Visual Arts Program. As Nicole shifts and finds comfort within the art discourse, her work looks at the female experience within the science disciplinary silo. Nicole is also a lead on the Mt. Auburn Citizen Science project and provides support for STEAM Beans.

Interests

• Science Education
• Engineering Education
• STEAM (Science + Technology + Engineering + Art + Math) Education
• Critical Exploration
• Applied Conservation
• Environmental Justice
• Play
• Anthropocene
• Ecological Teaching and Learning
• Environmental Education/Art
• Womanhood
• Earth/Land Art
• Installation
• Sense of Self and Place Exploration

Education

• PhD, University of Massachusetts, Boston
• Postdoctoral Research, Engineering Education, Purdue University
• MFA in Visual Arts, Lesley University

An ecologist, conservation biologist, and animal behaviorist by training, David has studied the effects of forest fragmentation on birds in Massachusetts and is currently involved in urban bird research.

His areas of academic focus and expertise include: ecology, ornithology, conservation biology, and animal behavior. At Lesley, he teaches the following courses: Patterns in Nature, Environmental Field Research, New England Field Studies, and Field Experiences in Tropical Ecology. 

David holds a BS from Stonehill College and a MA and PhD from Boston University.