Board of Directors
The CSW Network is lucky to have a talented, dedicated Board of Directors supporting our work:
Dan Sudran, President
Dr. Sherry Hsi
Dr. Jerry Valadez
William Maynez
Rich Bolecek
Manuel Hernandez
Angelica Gonzalez
Dan Sudran, President: Dan Sudran founded the first Community Science Workshop in the Mission District of San Francisco in 1991. Mr. Sudran is responsible for the fundamental vision of the CSW model of education: discovery-driven, hands-on learning tied to real-world objects, emphasizing recycling, conservation, and respect for the value and complexity of the natural world. Mr. Sudran has 20 years of experience as Director of the Mission Science Workshop, with duties including day-to-day administration, long-term fundraising, building partnerships, and teaching hands-on science to the public. As such, Mr. Sudran was an integral member of the 1995 National Science Foundation-funded effort to start new workshops, which culminated in the establishment of the Fresno, Oakland, and Watsonville CSW sites. Mr. Sudran has a law degree from Northwestern University, an AA in Electronics Technology from SF City College, and a BA in History from University of Chicago. In 2010, he was named one of Bank of America’s Local Heroes, and he was a winner of the local Jefferson Award in 2009. Recently, Mr. Sudran was recruited to be a Science Education Consultant by the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation to help design a model for activating early science learners, and he has also been called upon to consult the SF Unified School District and Linden Unified School District (Stockton) in informal science education. Mr. Sudran has been building custom exhibits on short budgets with few materials for 20 years, and consistently creates excellent tools for inspiring scientific interest in young people.
Dr. Sherry Hsi: Dr. Sherry Hsi is a researcher, designer, and learning technologist with the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California Berkeley. She was a member of the evaluation team working across the NISE Network Working at the intersection of research and practice, Dr. Hsi has worked on new media projects, handhelds, science websites, digital libraries, and other informal science learning programs. Dr. Hsi co-leads the SMILE Pathway (howtosmile.org), a National Science Foundation-funded digital library of inquiry-based activities for science and mathematics informal learning educators that draws the best materials from across different museums and science centers. She is also the co-PI of a research grant in educational data mining grant that investigates online visitors to museum websites. Before joining the Lawrence Hall of Science, Dr. Hsi directed new media research and evaluation at the Exploratorium, started a homeschool program, and worked on the Electronic Guidebook project to design handhelds to support learning in and beyond museums. Dr. Hsi is on the editorial board for the International Journal of Science Education, and reviews for the Journal of the Learning Sciences. She also serves on the board of champions for the National Girls Collaborative in STEM. Dr. Hsi did her PhD studies in science education at the University of California Berkeley and post-doctoral research with The Concord Consortium.
Dr. Jerry Valadez: Dr. Jerry Valadez is the K-12 Science and After School Coordinator for Fresno Unified School District and President for the National Science Education Leadership Association. He has been professionally involved with science or science education for the last thirty years. He is a former medical technologist, microbiologist, high school and middle school science teacher and school site administrator. Professional Preparation: Ed.D.-Doctorate in Educational Leadership: University of California, Davis and California State University, Fresno — 2003; Professional Administrative Services Credential: CSU Fresno 1991; MA — Educational Administration and Evaluation: CSU Fresno 1991; Secondary Single Subject Teaching Credential, Life Science and Chemistry-1980; BS – Animal Science with Biology Option; Minor in Chemistry: CSU Fresno 1979; Cross-cultural, Language and Academic Development (CLAD) Certificate, 1989; He holds credentials in biology, chemistry, and professional administrative services. Jerry has also served and serves on numerous State, National, and International committees and advisory boards, including an appointment to the National Academy of Science from 2000 – 2003. In 2001 he also served as special advisor to South Korea in developing the first joint international high school summer science academy, which was held in Seoul, South Korea during summer 2002. Jerry also serves as chair of the Toyota Tapestry Grants for Teachers program and helped create the newest category, Literacy Connections in Science. In addition he is also a contributing author on a number of successful grants funded by the National Science Foundation, CPEC, CDE, and the U.S. Department of Education. Other honors received by Jerry include the Cal Alive 2001 Educator of the Year, the National Science Administrator of the Year in 2000, the California Science Administrator Supporting Science in 1997, and the ACSA Region VII Curriculum and Instruction Administrator of the Year in 2003.
William Maynez: For 32 years William Maynez has managed the City College of San Francsico Physics labs, the largest community college complex in the state of California. He sponsored Students for Environmental Action, the Associated Students club that created the recycling program at City College. He volunteered at the Mission Science Workshop for its first five years and continues to serve as a key resource for ideas and innovation in Mission Science Workshop’s body of exhibits. He is the lead historian on City College’s Diego Rivera Pan American Unity mural, whose main theme is the reconciliation of Art and Science. www.riveramural.org
Rich Bolecek: Rich Bolecek is the founding Director of the Oakland Discovery Centers, and was an integral member of the 1995 National Science Foundation-funded effort to start new workshops, which culminated in the establishment of the Fresno, Oakland, and Watsonville CSW sites. Mr. Bolecek has dedicated the past 16 years to maintaining the Discovery Centers as resources for highly impoverished and underserved neighborhoods in Oakland, garnering significant local and regional support from a variety of government and private foundation sources.
Manuel Hernandez: Manuel Hernandez is the founding Director of Fresno Community Science, and was an integral member of the 1995 National Science Foundation-funded effort to start new workshops, which culminated in the establishment of the Fresno, Oakland, and Watsonville CSW sites. Mr. Hernandez has been the recipient of many awards for his commitment to serving the youth of Fresno with engaging, hands-on science education programming – most recently, he was awarded the National Science Teacher’s Association Informal Educator of the Year award, in 2011.
Angelica Gonzalez: Angelica Gonzalez is the new Director of the Watsonville Environmental Science Workshop. She has worked with the Center for Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS) where she worked designed, created and field-tested a model of an agricultural field and lesson plan for farmworker families to help them learn how pesticides can be inadvertently tracked into the home and ways to reduce exposure. She has also worked for the City of Pomona in their water conservation education program. She has a degree in Environmental Studies from California State University Monterey Bay, and is excited to bring new biology activities tied to local farm worker concerns to the Watsonville ESW.
