Biography

  • B.A. Biology and Chemistry, Shorter College
  • M.Ed. Education, Virginia State University
  • Ph.D. Science Education, North Carolina State University
  • National Board Certified

Joined NCSSM Faculty 1989

Courses:  Inquiry Chemistry, AP Chemistry Advanced, Research in Chemistry, Research Experience in Science- Online.

Mini-Term: Marine and Environmental Field Study in Belize,  Glassblowing

Academic Interest:My primary interest is in helping students to learn to think in innovative and creative ways, to organize their thoughts, collect evidence, and to draw conclusions based on evidence. I am curious about how students learn and in developing strategies to promote their learning in chemistry.

School Sponsored Extracurricular Activities:  Science competitions ( science fair, NC Student Academy of Science, Siemens, Intel, Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, ISWEEP, Conrad, NASA Flight Opportunities, Conrad Innovations, Google Science Fair,  BioGenius);  

Outreach Efforts:  Chemistry Olympiad  NC-ACS Director, RECAP summer research program;  Co-PI  PEP – Pharmacology Education Partners and A-PEP; numerous workshops at NCSTA and NSTA. 

Career Highlights:

  • Seeing the light in the eye’s of a student when they understand something.
  • Flying my students experiment aboard NASA’s Reduced Gravity Plane and
  • Student’s achievement – Presidential Scholar, Regional and National Winners in Siemens ,ISEF, IGEM, ISWEEP, JSHS, Intel, Chemistry Olympiad  Finalist, China International Science Fair, NASA’s BHALF & Sounding Rocket & High Altitude Balloon experiments.
  • NASA’s Teacher in Space Finalist and NEAT finalist

Recent Publications:

  • Schwartz-Bloom, Rochelle; Halpin, Myra; Reiter, Jerome 2011, “ Teaching High School Chemistry in the Context of Pharmacology Helps Both Teachers and Students Learn", Journal of Chemical Education, August, 2011.
  • Schwartz-Bloom; Halpin, Myra, “Pharmacology in the Classroom”, SCIENCE, September 28, 2007