Speakers
2024 Conference Speakers
Tori Engel
Instructional Technology Coach
Tori Engel is dedicated to preparing students for success in the digital era. With a 12-year background in education, she teaches middle school computer science and is her school's instructional technology coach and Chromebook coordinator. In addition, she is a Doctoral Student at the University of Illinois.
Tori spent four years at Washington University where she served as a Lead Instructional Specialist managing their Code.org Regional Partnership, leading Code.org Computer Science Principles workshops, and developing, refining, and leading PD on science units for the K-8 curriculum, mySci. Her work extended to integrating computer science concepts into the curriculum. Before her time at WashU, Tori was a middle and high school science teacher. In 2024, Tori was nominated as a semifinalist for Magic School's AI Teacher of the Year. Additionally, she was awarded the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics STEM Teacher Scholarship.
Elisabeth Greenwood
High School Chemistry Teacher
Elisabeth Greenwood has the joy of teaching high school students about the wonderful world of chemistry!
For the past 11 years, she has implemented teaching methods learned from her initial teaching experience interning at the Illinois Math and Science Academy as a Golden Apple Scholar. Her philosophy centers on asking her students more questions than giving answers, and providing experiences in the classroom for students to engage and question chemical phenomena.
She also enjoys working with pre-service math and science teachers and has served as a mentor for SIUe’s Noyce science and math teacher candidates. Elisabeth is the recipient of several awards, including the NSTA’s Maitland P. Simmons Memorial Award for New Science Teachers, the Illinois Chemical Education Foundation and the Chemical Industry Council of Illinois Davidson Award, and the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics STEM Teacher Scholarship.
Janet Moore
Instructional Coach, Math
Janet Moore is a Math Instructional Coach with a passion for empowering students and teachers to be confident, curious, and competent mathematicians, regardless of their past experiences in mathematics.
Janet draws upon a unique combination of formal and informal teaching experiences that include: (1) teaching high school mathematics at Bureau Valley High School, (2) teaching developmental mathematics at Illinois State University, (3) integrating math, science, and ELA into simulated space mission experiences at the Challenger Learning Center, (4) translating the math and science involved in NASA’s high-energy astrophysics missions into lessons and materials for K-12 classrooms, and (5) providing professional development for teachers on behalf of ISBE, NSF, and MSP during the transition to Common Core and NGSS standards.
In her curriculum development and professional development endeavors, Janet emphasizes an inquiry-based, SEL-focused approach to mathematics instruction that allows students and teachers to understand mathematical concepts through meaningful experiences.
Allycia Uhrhan
6th Grade Science Teacher
With ten years of experience teaching all core subjects in middle school, Allycia Uhrhan brings a wealth of knowledge to her role as science department chair in her building. Her dedication to student-centered learning has earned her the NSTA’s Maitland P. Simmons Memorial Award for New Science Teachers twice, along with district-wide influence for her work in standards-based grading. She shares her passion for education as an adjunct professor at Washington University and through service on NSTA advisory boards. Her love of science extends to exploring National Parks with her husband and two sons.
Brooke Whitworth
Educational Consultant
Dr. Brooke A. Whitworth is an associate professor and educational consultant who works to support educators by bridging the research-practice gap and making professional learning and development engaging and meaningful.
She has delivered over a 1,000 hours of professional learning and development around the country to thousands of educators. Brooke teaches on best practices in education, differentiation, assessment, curriculum, and leadership development. She has received over $12 million in grant funding and has been published in high tier research journals and practitioner journals alike. Brooke is also a National Science Teaching Association Fellow, received the Association for Science Teacher Education’s Outstanding Educator of the Year Award, and is a recipient of Clemson University’s College of Education Researcher of the Year Award.
Participants in her sessions often describe them as the best professional development they have ever attended and as “personally and professionally life changing”. When Brooke is not teaching or consulting, she is often found on the tennis court or stand up paddling with her dog Emi on a lake.