University of Miami
NIEHS Marine and Freshwater Biomedical Sciences Center
Community Outreach and Education Program
Lora Fleming, MD, PhD, Director
The mission of the UM NIEHS Marine and Freshwater Biomedical Sciences Center Community Outreach and Education Program (COEP) is to educate the public in issues involving the environmental impacts of Marine and Fresh Water Toxins and their effects on human health. The UM COEP has recognized the need within public schools for involving teachers and students with research scientists and members of the community in a systemic, interdisciplinary approach to learning about local environmental health science issues. The AMBIENT project supports curriculum development and teaching training, aiming to implement culturally-sensitive curricular materials that will motivate, engage, and prepare secondary students to improve overall academic performance, complete their high school education, and pursue careers in natural science.

Lisa Pitman, EdD
Lisa is currently the Project Director of the AMBIENT Environmental Health Project and a member of the Evaluation Working Group for the NASA Earth System Science Education for the 21st Century Program. She also has experience as an Environmental Science Curriculum Writer with the Miami Museum of Science and as Project Evaluator for The Audubon Society of Florida. Lisa holds a Doctor of Education degree. She is in the unique position of working concurrently as an Educational Specialist with Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) Division of Mathematics and Science AND as Education and Research Specialist at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Through the partnership, she is able to build strong unions between university researchers and the students and teachers of the 4th largest school district in the United States. These scientists provide cutting edge research to an educational community recognized for its highly diverse population.

Wendy Blair Stephan, MPH
Wendy received her Masters in Public Health (MPH) from the University of Miami in 1998. She has gone on to design health educational materials for students and for the general public. Environmental health has been the focus of her work, in particular the development of educational campaigns on marine and freshwater toxins and pesticide issues. As a core writer for the joint NIEHS/UM AMBIENT curriculum, she has developed modules with linked exercises relating to the effects of soil and air contamination on human health. By reaching out to students, she hopes to help create an environmentally informed generation that can overcome some of the environmental challenges facing us today.

To learn more about the UM MFBSC and its COEP visit http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/niehs/.