2025 Meet the Candidates

Urska Manners

I started my teaching career when I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guinea, where I taught math at a local high school. After getting my Ph.D. in geophysics, I decided to return to teaching and have been teaching at international schools since 2008. I have primarily taught IB Physics and integrated science at the high school level, although I have a few years of experience teaching middle school as well. I took my first Modeling workshop in 2018 and have been committed to using Modeling in all science classes since then. I am currently living in Curitiba, Brazil, where, in addition to teaching, I am the Head of the Science Department and the IB Coordinator. I will be moving to Basel, Switzerland in July, where I will continue to teach.
Taking my first Modeling workshop not only opened up a whole new method of teaching, but it also helped my find a community of like-minded teachers. Particularly as someone who lives outside of the US, opportunities for quality professional development in the sciences are few and far between. I have benefitted greatly from all of the opportunities that AMTA has offered and now, I would like to help give back. In November 2023, I organized and co-led an Introduction to Modeling workshop for teachers in South America. In the past few years, I have been working with Sheri Gates and Francis Maginn to start a ‘local’ STEM teachers organization set up for teachers outside of the US. We have hosted monthly meet-ups and also run some online sessions geared to people outside of American time zones. While progress has been slow, it is clear that there is interest out there and I think it would be great to try and expand the reach of the AMTA beyond the US. The AMTA is a wonderful organization and I would really like to explore how to make the organization more visible and how to make workshops more accessible, by continuing to offer more online opportunities. Additionally, I would like to explore how to get people to remain involved with AMTA after taking a workshop.

Dan Peluso

Dr. Daniel O’Conner Peluso, also known as Dan, is an astronomer, researcher, educator, media creator, and singer-songwriter (releasing music under the pseudonym Conner Eko), residing in Vallejo, California. With a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Southern Queensland, Dan’s career has been marked by a deep commitment to democratizing science and science education and fostering interdisciplinary collaborations between scientists, teachers, students, and the general public. His Ph.D., “Democratizing & Enhancing Exoplanet Research with the Unistellar Citizen Science Network & Astronomy Modeling Instruction”, included the creation of the American Modeling Teachers Association (AMTA) course and research study that is currently in peer-review with the Journal of Science Teacher Education, Astronomy Modeling with Exoplanets (AME). Dan has also led and co-led the AME course for AMTA for three years. His vision includes enhancing funding for the AMTA and its members, promoting the creation and publication of new peer-reviewed Modeling Instruction studies, incorporating more arts integration into science, and blending more citizen science project-based learning opportunities into Modeling Instruction initiatives to boost student and teacher engagement and learning outcomes.

Previously, Dan served as Director of Strategic Engagement at the LSST Discovery Alliance, where he facilitated collaborations for the Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space & Time (LSST). His extensive experience in science communication and partnership-building has been instrumental in expanding access to Rubin LSST awareness and advancing scientific outreach for educators (e.g., the 2024-2025 AMTA and Rubin LSST webinars and workshops). Dan’s journey also includes pioneering work in citizen science through the SETI Institute’s Unistellar Network, involving over 200 citizen astronomers in groundbreaking exoplanet research, as well as current initiatives working with the University of Melbourne and Skymapper to promote Aboriginal and Indigenous astronomy through citizen science and music projects.

Dan’s dedication in education has been a focal point in his career, and he has over nine years’ experience as an informal and classroom educator. Currently, he teaches astrophysics, mathematics, and pop music songwriting at Griffin Technology Academies. He also works to develop STEAM programs that blend scientific inquiry with creative expression, aiming to inspire the next generation of learners. In early 2025, Dan was named a semi-finalist for the 2025-2026 US Fulbright Scholars program for his proposal to co-create songs about Aboriginal astronomy in Australia. Through his career in both music and science, Dan remains committed to pushing boundaries and creating impactful, innovative experiences that bridge the arts and sciences.

For more information on Dan’s work and ongoing projects, visit his website at astropartydan.com or connereko.com and stay updated on his latest endeavors in music, research, and education.

Christy “C.J.” Geraci

It is an honor to run for AMTA office because this community has helped me grow since my first workshop in 2017. Before pivoting 10 years ago, my experience was in biodiversity research and policy. I killed a lot of bugs in a lot of countries, sequenced their DNA, and read their phylogenetic histories. I led specialized workshops with advanced learners and enjoyed that immensely, but after career and personal twists and turns, I found myself in a classroom of beginner high school biology students. I had no idea how to teach teenagers in the midst of forming conceptual models of the physical world while still in the throes of puberty. I floundered, then I took Chemistry Modeling at Tempe Prep and found my footing. I learned how to think in models and how to share that with students. I’ve taught 3rd – 12th grade across the disciplines of biology, environmental science, anatomy, chemistry, and physics in Virginia, Arizona, and Louisiana.

We need AMTA to be strong and vibrant to support learners across ages, levels, and geographies. I have taught in public and private schools, district and charter, secular and faith-based. I’ve taught in the US and internationally, including two years in Iraqi Kurdistan. Regardless of what kind of school you are serving in, teachers must balance subject matter expertise, building relationships with students, and paperwork. That is hard. I know the pressure to get through the material as quickly as possible and on to the advanced stuff offered in AP, IB, DE, etc. Teaching beginners is not as valued as it should be or could be, but we know how critical those fundamental early models are to students if they are to thrive in advanced classes. My goal is to create more conversations bridging introductory and advanced models. What are the storylines, e.g., that connect 6th grade physical science to AP Physics and Dual-Enrollment Anatomy and Physiology? To accomplish this goal, we should plan strategically to continue to broaden AMTA efforts like physics-first, math modeling, distance learning workshops, and podcasts. Finally, we should plan more cross-disciplinary opportunities for physics, biology, chemistry, and math teachers to model key concepts of energy and systems. What are the multiple ways we can and should represent systems thinking to students? Let’s whiteboard it together. I’ll take notes.

Tanea Hibler

My history with AMTA began at the start of my teaching career. I was desperate to find professional development that would give me the tools I needed to survive the classroom setting I found myself in. Somehow I stumbled across AMTA and I signed up for a physical science workshop and absolutely fell in love. I’m not even a physical science teacher, but I knew I found something special. Fast forward many years, and I discovered that there was Biology modeling. I signed up right away and delved in head first and pretty much haven’t looked back.

Modeling has had a profound impact on my career and it has been the very breath that gives life to my teaching. Once I took the leadership workshop in 2018, I somehow came across the opportunity to immediately co-lead a workshop in 2018, spring of 2019, and summer of 2019. I have never had so much fun working with adults, seeing them grow, learn, and challenging themselves to step into something new. Since then I have also served on the board of AMTA as a member at large, I have lead book clubs, sessions at local conferences and national conferences, I have written an article for AMTA’s M2M blog, I have been interviewed on an episode of AMTA’s Science Modeling Talks podcast, and I have attended AMTA’s national conference. Through these varied roles, particularly as a member at large and in coordinating workshops, I have honed strong organizational, communication, and record-keeping skills. I am eager to apply these to the Secretary position to support the Board’s effectiveness and ensure our important work is well-documented.

I have grown tremendously over the last 20 years as an educator, and I continue to grow, and since the pandemic the world of teaching has become more and more challenging, and I try to find the bright spots and focus on things within my sphere of influence. I try to center equity in the work I do and I look for ways to bring in more diversity into STEAM. I am passionate about pulling kids in rather than exclusionary practices that push people away. I am grateful for all the opportunities that AMTA has afforded me. The growth and expertise I have gained through this organization has given me the opportunity to work with the college board, HHMI, and to lead workshops at other prestigious institutions. I believe my dedication, coupled with my organizational abilities and attention to detail vital for teaching and leadership, make me well-suited to serve as Secretary. I am eager to give back again to AMTA in this capacity. My hope is that AMTA can be financially sustainable, continue to thrive, and serve teachers long into the future.

Nell Bielecki

I have been teaching middle school science at Anderson Middle School in Berkley, Michigan for the past 24 years. In that time, I have also led a variety of Modeling Instruction workshops in partnership with Mi-STAR across the state and have presented on various occasions at the Michigan Science Teachers Association (MSTA) annual conference. In addition to leading professional development, I have continued to grow in my own practice by participating as a student in three Modeling Instruction workshops—focused on physics, middle school science, and physical science.

Modeling instruction is at the core of how I teach—it is not just a method, but a mindset that reflects how science truly works. It is at the heart of what I do, and I am eager to help move it forward in the coming years. As a candidate for Member-at-Large, I am excited about the opportunity to work with the board to support and inspire both current and future modeling teachers.

My vision for AMTA is to help shape a future where every science classroom is a space of curiosity, discovery, and deep thinking. I believe we can continue to grow a vibrant, supportive community that empowers educators and brings modeling instruction to more students across the country.

Geoff Nunes

My interest in serving as a Board member stems from my desire to see AMTA grow and strengthen into an enduring institution that can support Modeling Instruction for the long term. I first learned about Modeling Instruction from papers by David Hestenes in the late 1990s, when I was teaching at the college level. I wanted to make that happen in my classes, but there was no AMTA at the time, and so no workshops or any of the training and support structure that we have in place today. After a long side trip as an industrial physicist, I returned to teaching, at the high school level, much later in my career. I took my first Modeling workshop in 2017, and it changed everything about how I approach teaching. Workshops are an essential part of becoming a Modeler and transforming science instruction. Without AMTA, there are no workshops, and there is no infrastructure to support and train new Modelers. I am running for an at large position on the AMTA Board so that I can work to expand workshop enrollment, increase on-going support AMTA offers its membership, and help ensure AMTA’s future.