This time on the Anatomy in Clay® Learning System podcast, a chat with Dr. Amit Kumar and four students from Urbana STEMM in Urbana, Maryland. The four students are all ninth-graders - Rhea Ramesh, Aarna Chakavarty, Ritika Rajesh, and Hamsini Chintala.

In his professional life, Dr. Kumar is a Health Science Administrator at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health. He started at NIH as a post-doctoal fellow and has stayed at NIH since 1998, leading to his current position.

Dr. Kumar enjoys volunteering his time for the community. Dr. Kumar has been engaging students (Elementary, Middle and High schools) in many educational and community activities through his non profit organization Urbana STEMM. (The second ‘M’ stands for Mindfulness.)

The program recruits and trains high schoolers who then go on to teach math, robotics, human anatomy and other STEMM related activities. Many of his volunteers have earned awards including the presidential service award from AmeriCorp and awards from Point of Light and Frederick County government and education boards. The students in the program also engage in lot of community activities and programs such as community gardens, community road and park and nature wood cleaning, food and book drives, battery recycling to name a few,

Dr. Kumar is also the Maryland coordinator of Recycle My Battery organization, which has about 60 student members in Frederick. Through their efforts, they have recycled about 30,000 batteries in Frederick and educated thousands of residents.

Dr. Kumar also volunteers with local and national organizations such as Asian American Center of Frederick, Ekal Foundation and Northsouth Foundation that generate funds from their social and educational activities in the US to help underprivileged kids in tribal and poor villages of India.

More about Urbana STEMM:

https://www.ustemm.org/

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Erica Huggard is a veteran educator with 18 years of experience who teaches at Emporia High School in Emporia, Kansas. Erica holds a Master of Science degree in Curriculum and Instruction and additional 36 graduate hours in science. Erica is a lifelong learner, leader in the profession, collaborative team member, advocate, and student-centered educator. Erica is committed to her students, instructional practice, and the transformative impact of public education. She is specifically passionate about creating a hands-on learning environment for all students. Erica has found her purpose and passion in education, with the success of her students serving as her constant source of inspiration. Erica’s favorite part of being an educator is knowing that her impact extends far beyond the classroom and into the future, making a lasting difference in the lives of her students.

More about Emporia High School:

https://ehs.usd253.org/

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Deanna Wynn is a Biology and Earth/Environmental Science teacher at The Middle College at UNCG in Greensboro High Point, N.C. Now in her 21st year as an educator she has taught science to students ranging from sixth to twelfth grade. A graduate of Bennett College with a degree in Biology and a master’s degree from UNC-Greensboro in Curriculum and Instruction, she has had the distinct honor of being named Guilford County Schools Middle School Teacher of the Year for the 2009-2010 academic year. Deanna continued her commitment to education by earning an advanced certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, in Early Adolescent Science.

More:

https://www.gcsnc.com/middle_college_at_uncg

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Nancy Harris is a 15-year veteran teacher of Health Careers at Northeast Tech in Claremore, Oklahoma. She is an RN with a background in School Nursing and Pediatrics. Anatomy in Clay® Learning System has been part of her anatomy curriculum for those 15 years. It started small with just one MANIKEN®. Northeast Tech saw the value and increased the inventory to 32 Student 2 models. Nancy attended a professional development session with Anatomy in Clay® Learning System in Chicago which she says showed her many useful teaching techniques. Nancy still uses all the original Anatomy in Clay curriculum that includes DVD's, CD's, and booklets. Nancy enjoys social media and uses the Anatomy in Clay Teacher Forum on FaceBook.

Nancy can be found on these social media platforms:

FaceBook: Nurse Nancy's Health Careers

TikTok: nursenancy20

Instagram: nursenancyhealthcareers

More:

https://www.netech.edu/

Intro and Outro music "Vicious Pen" courtesy of Moby Gratis

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TThis time on the Anatomy in Clay® Learning System podcast, a special conversation with three individuals involved with the Anatomy Video and Imagery Diversity project, also known as AVID. AVID is an open repository of images available to free to educators and students alike and it just became available this week, specifically on March 4, 2024.

On the podcast are Sarah Anderson, an assistant professor of anatomy at the University of Calgary; Elena Huang, a second year medical student at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; and Kaden Joseph, a second year student majoring in kinesiology at the University of Windsor in Windsor, Canada. (All three introduce themselves further on the podcast.)

The AVID collection: https://digitalcollections.ucalgary.ca/avid

Guests: Kaden Joseph is a second-year student studying kinesiology at the University of Windsor. His particular interests are anatomy and physiology so working on this project and making a contribution towards better representation in the world of anatomy is something he is extremely proud of! Kaden os part of the team from the University of Windsor creating overview videos to accompany the series of images in the repository. "Contributing towards this project has been an amazing experience and I'm excited about what its future holds and how it will continue to grow."

Sarah Jayne Anderson is an Assistant Professor (Teaching) in the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy and Director of Anatomy for the Undergraduate Medical Education Program at the University of Calgary. Her academic interests include the neuroscience of learning, health sciences education (especially anatomy!), and curricular design… to name a few! "Engaging with the AVID Team has been a source of inspiration as each member has brought a unique perspective and passion to the project. Together we are excited to continue improving accessibility to educational resources and positively contributing to increasing diverse representation in anatomy teaching and learning."

Elena Huang is a second year medical student at McMaster University and a digital illustrator with the AVID project. Elena grew up with drawing, painting, and sculpting as hobbies, eventually discovering and self-teaching digital illustration. "It has been an amazing experience to be able to combine this with my love for anatomy and medicine in a way that promotes diversity and representation. I hope my contributions will be easily accessible and of use to learners, educators, and of course, anyone passionate about anatomy."

Intro and Outro music "Vicious Pen" courtesy of Moby Gratis

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Jan Langston graduated nursing school in 1994 from the University of Alabama in Birmingham. Jan worked in labor and delivery for three years followed by 21 years in with an OB/GYN. In 2014, she graduated from the University of North Alabama with a masters degree in nursing education. Jan worked at a local junior college part time for two years in the nursing simulation lab beginning in 2014 and, in 2017, she started at Hartselle High School, what she calls her “dream job.” On the video, among other topics, Jan talks about how she sets a relaxed mood for students when they build on the Anatomy in Clay® Learning System.

For the video version of this chat (and to see Jan's classroom with students building) visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7RUPEQUhS8

The classroom footage is at 9:15.

More about Hartselle High School: https://www.hartselletigers.org/HHS

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Kish Rafique teaches human anatomy and physiology at Meridian High School, an International Baccalaureate School and part of the Falls Church City Public Schools in Virginia. She’s also the assistant wrestling coach and girls wrestling coach - a role that gives her considerable opportunities to discuss anatomy with her athletes. Aside from teaching, Kish is pursuing her doctorate in education at Virginia Tech.

More about Meridian High School:

https://mhs.fccps.org/

Intro and Outro music "Vicious Pen" courtesy of Moby Gratis

https://mobygratis.com/

Katherine “Katie” Green is a sixth year Animal Science teacher at Dover High School and Regional Career Technical Center in Dover, NH. Originally from Massachusetts, Katie found her passion for agriculture through the 4-H Dairy project which led her to study dairy science in college. However, through working with local youth and advocacy groups and clubs, her track changed to focus on Agricultural Education. Her current classroom focuses on Animal Science, Veterinary Science, and developing community through social-emotional skill building. In her personal time she enjoys practicing yoga, volunteering at dairy events, playing the french horn, and hiking in the White Mountains with her husband.

Instagram: @allcreaturesgreenandsmall

More:https://ctc.dover.k12.nh.us/ 

Intro and Outro music "Vicious Pen" courtesy of Moby Gratis

https://mobygratis.com/