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Instructors of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Courses


J.C. Chiao
Micro and Nano Technologies

J.C. Chiao received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at California Institute of Technology. He served as a Research Scientist at Bell Communications Research, an Assistant Professor at University of Hawaii, a Product Line Manager and Senior Technology Advisor with Chorum Technologies. Dr. Chiao is now an Electrical Engineering Professor at University of Texas at Arlington. He has published 137 technical papers, authored three book chapters, edited 12 proceedings and two books. Dr. Chiao holds 4 patents and 6 pending patents. He is a co-founder of American Academy of Nanomedicine, chairs five international conferences and with the editorial board of the Journal of Nanomedicine. His website is here where illustrates his research works and hobbies.

Tim Sanchez
Micro and Nano Technologies

Tim and his wife are the parents of five beautiful daughters. After receiving a BS in Education from The University of Oklahoma in 2002 he and his family moved to Denton, TX. At Denton High, Tim has taught physics at every level from ESL Physics to AP Physics B.

His former involvement with gangs has shown him that many kids just need options and a role model to help them get on the right path. So, he founded an organization called saavy (students against a violent youth) to bring kids together and strive for more from their lives and education.

Both his Mom and Grandma left abusive, alcoholic husbands to raise their children alone. Despite being illiterate, his Grandma graduated more than half of her eleven children from high school and 100% of her grandchildren while she was alive. Even since her passing in 2004, she is still the single most driving force in Tim's life.


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Cynthia Powers
Green Solutions

Ms. Powers has a B.S. in Biology from Texas Women's University.  She currently teaches Pre-AP Biology and Chemistry, Anatomy & Physiology and AP Biology at Lake Dallas High School in Corinth, Texas.   She was nominated as Texas Teacher of the Year in 2006.

Her special interests in science are differences in male and female brain structure and function, forensic anthropology and anything really gross.  Except bugs.  Especially arachnids.

For fun, Ms. Powers reads just about anything (Stephen King - favorite author, Scientific American - favorite magazine), keeps and breeds African cichlids, tromps around the lake with field guides in hand, and never misses an episode of "House."   She's also a terrible bowler.

Kevin Stevens
Green Solutions

Kevin Stevens obtained his B.Sc. (Ecology), M.Sc., and Ph.D. from the Department of Botany, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario. After a brief post-doctoral position and assistant professorship at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, Dr. Stevens was offered a post-doctoral position at Southeastern Louisiana University. AT SELU he was introduced to Cypress Swamps and Longleaf Pine Savannas and Coastal issues. After a short time at SELU, he accepted a tenure track assistant professorship as a Wetland Plant Ecologist in the Institute of Applied Sciences, in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of North Texas (UNT). Dr. Stevens research interests include determining the factors that influence the structure and function of wetland plant communities, and how wetland plant communities can mediate the often adverse conditions imposed by a rapidly growing human population. With a research team composed of postgraduate, graduate and undergraduate students, projects address topics in biofuels, natural fibers, symbiosis, flood tolerance, invasive species, constructed wetlands, ecotoxicology and algae.


Guido Verbeck
The Chemistry of Investigation

Dr. Verbeck received his B.S. from the University of Louisiana Monroe (1995), M.S. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (1999), and Ph.D. from Texas A&M University (2004).  Dr. Verbeck was a Proctor & Gamble and George W. Kunze fellow at Texas A&M University (2003), and ORAU postdoctoral fellow at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (2005).  After designing MEMS instrumentation for Zyvex, Dr. Verbeck joined the UNT chemistry faculty in 2006.  He is most proud of his family; wife Gennie and 2 daughters Annah and Isabella.

Patrick Matous
The Chemistry of Investigation

Patrick Matous attended High school at St. John High were he earned a distinguished diploma. He moved on to Navarro Jr. College and Texas Womans University - majoring in biology minoring in chemistry. He earned a BS in biology

Patrick holds a composite science certification, and has taught for 10 years, 7 at Lake Dallas, and 3 at Denton High. He has had the pleasure of teaching IPC, general biology, aquatic science, pap chem, AP chem, AP bio. Next year he will teach IB environmental systems and societies.

John Ed Allen
Endless Ideas

John Ed Allen, Ph.D. is a Mathematics Professor at the University of North Texas.

BS from Louisiana Tech in 1958 (age 20); Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University in 1963 (age 25);Faculty member - Mathematics Department UNT 1963 - present; Chair of the UNT Mathematics Department 1976-1999; Assistant Dean and Director of Academic Programs for the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (2002 - present).

Scott Dean
Endless Ideas

Scott Dean is the math department chair at Guyer High School in Denton, TX.  He has taught in Denton for 7 years and has been teaching math for 20 years.  He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Education/Math from Black Hills State University in 1985 and a Master's Degree in Computer Education and Cognitive Systems from the University of North Texas in 1992.  Mr. Dean has two children, Chandler, age 10, and Jackson, age 7, and a lovely wife of 16 years, Jessica.  He is very excited about the Texas Governor's School and looks forward to the experience.

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Srinivasan Srivilliputhur
Energy Use and Our Future

Srinivasan G. Srivilliputhur has a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Washington in Seattle. He started as an Assistant Professor at the University of North Texas in January 2008 after a nine year career at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). At LANL he has carried our research in energy related materials issues. His is also well published in parallel computing and computational materials science, defect physics, irradiation effects in materials, modeling of phase transformations, and structure property-relations in bulk and nanophase materials. He lives in Denton in a 35 year old house with his wife Sheela and son Kesavan. His house seldom lacks things to fix, his son does the breaking and his wife does all the fixing!

Chris Smith
Energy Use and Our Future

Chris Smith teaches science, primarily Physics, at Ryan High School in Denton, Texas.  He qualified for a Composite Science teaching certificate in 1990, after earning his Masters of Science degree in Applied Sciences and his Bachelors of Arts in Social Sciences from UNT in 1983 and 1981, respectively.  Prior to entering the teaching field, Chris worked for a solar energy firm, and as an energy management specialist in City government.

Chris enjoys making things work; this sometimes qualifies as a hobby called "tinkering."  He lives in Denton in a 33 year old house with his wife of 27 years, and has a 24 year old daughter in seminary, and a 17 year old son at home.  He seldom lacks something to fix.

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This page was last updated on May 31, 2009