Dr. Julie Cwikla, the Project WetKids Director is a Professor and Director of CISSTEM: Center for Integrative Studies in Science Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics at the University of South Alabama and resides in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. She is a Mathematics Educator with a bachelors of science degree in mathematics and chemistry, a masters of science degree in applied mathematics from New York University and a doctorate in mathematics education from the University of Delaware. She has served as the Director of Project WetKids since its inception in 2006 helping coordinate the extensive partnership and organize and facilitate events with the WetKids Teacher Leaders.
Dr. Cwikla’s research and publications have focused on teacher professional development (Cwikla, 2004a, 2004b, 2003, 2002), integrated mathematics and science lessons in the middle grades (Cwikla & Patterson, 2006), and communities of practice and partnership development (Cwikla, 2007). Dr. Cwikla has also worked with and provided professional development for thousands of K-8 teachers over the past decade in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana.
Dr. Cwikla was also awarded the National Science Foundation's Early CAREER Award 2003-08. This project supported a professional partnership across five institutions of higher learning in Mississippi. Dr. Cwikla continues to coordinate this partnership as well, working to investigate, improve, and document teacher preparation and development. Her experience with data collection, data management, documentation, longitudinal research, and partner leadership, have and will continue to guide the multi-faceted landscape of Project WetKids.
