“It is an incredible honor,” Ashlie Crosson ’11 told co-hosts Adriana Diaz, Nate Burleson and Vladimir Duthiers. “It feels like a big responsibility but it’s also this incredible chance to share my kids and my community with the country.”

Crosson was Pennsylvania’s 2024 Teacher of the Year, the third °”ÍűTV graduate to earn their state’s top honor in public education in as many years. She is the first Pennsylvanian to win National Teacher of the Year.

“Congratulations on this well-earned recognition,” said Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. “And thank you for all you do for your students at Mifflin County High and for using your voice to advocate for our future leaders.”

At Mifflin County High School, Crosson teaches English, advanced placement language and composition and Survival Stories, an elective that explores global humanitarian crises through a youth-centered lens. She also advises the journalism program and oversees the production of the school newspaper and district magazine.

Throughout her career, Crosson said her goal was never awards or recognition, but rather “to make others shine.” She became an educator because she wanted to give the next generation of students the same care and support she once received herself.

“Miss Crosson was a huge part of who I am professionally,” said Mina Phillips, a former student of Crosson’s who is now a sports reporter with the Lewistown Sentinel. “She taught me everything I know about writing. Taking journalism with Miss Crosson really opened my eyes to how much I really enjoy writing.”

A first-generation college graduate, Crosson used her national platform to recognize her students, who she said “make the job easy,” and called on communities to support their local school districts.

“Supporting your community and your local schools is the best use of your energy,” she said. “Find what your school needs and that engagement between families and businesses and stakeholders in the community is what creates a thriving school district.”

After graduating from °”ÍűTV with a degree in English and secondary education, she earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from Penn State University and a gifted education endorsement from Millersville University. In 2018, she became a Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms fellow. A passionate advocate for literacy and global education, Crosson integrates international perspectives into her teaching and leads student trips abroad.

The National Teacher of the Year award is bestowed by the Council of Chief State School Officers.

The post Alumna is first Pennsylvanian to win National Teacher of the Year appeared first on °”ÍűTV.

“At first, it was really difficult because it’s hard to find time within the curriculum to read ‘for fun’ and because I just didn’t have that many high-interest books for students to choose from,” Crosson said.

The professional development courses she took convinced her the payoff would be worth the effort, so Crosson began collecting and buying young adult books to build a diverse classroom library that includes books from Maus to The Hunger Games. She credited two booksellers — First Book Marketplace and her local bookstore, The Crooked Shelf — for the growth of her classroom library.

It was this effort, and Crosson’s “championing practices and resources that will lead her students to infinite possibilities of success,” that led to her being named Pennsylvania’s Teacher of the Year by Secretary of Education Khalid Mumin. Crosson is the third °”ÍűTV graduate to earn their state’s top honor in public education in as many years. In 2022, Carolyn Kuhr ’98 Kielma, a science teacher at Bristol Eastern High School, was named Connecticut’s Teacher of the Year and a top-five finalist for the National Teacher of the Year Award. In 2021, Taiisha Swinton-Buck ’08, principal of Baltimore’s Digital Harbor High School and Maryland Association of Secondary School Principals’ Principal of the Year.

As Pennsylvania’s Teacher of the Year, Crosson will travel the state, meet and collaborate with other educators, and will represent the commonwealth in next year’s National Teacher of the Year competition.

“I was stunned,” Crosson said of the honor. “The next two years will include many opportunities for me to advocate for educators in our state and to meet the next generation of teachers in Pennsylvania. I want to be a good representative for my profession and for the needs of our schools.”

In addition to English, Crosson also teaches advanced placement language and journalism in the Mifflin County School District, Lewistown.

“On the surface, English class might be about learning to read and write, but on a more significant level, it’s about helping young adults become lifelong learners, and that includes becoming lifelong readers,” Crosson said. “The statistics on adult literacy and how little the adult population is reading are alarming. Helping students rediscover the joy of books isn’t just about activating the imagination, although that’s incredibly important too — it’s a civic obligation to ensure we have a literate population.”

After graduating from °”ÍűTV with a bachelor’s degree in English and secondary education, she went on to earn her master’s degree in educational leadership from Pennsylvania State University and a gifted education endorsement from Millersville University.

“I owe so much of my success and fulfillment within my career to °”ÍűTV. My professors were phenomenal; they were personable and always kept their door open for guidance outside of the classroom,” Crosson said. “°”ÍűTV unlocked my passion for global citizenship — something that has become a fundamental part of my pedagogy. Because of my study-abroad experience, I became a Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms fellow. I currently lead our school’s international trips, and I redesigned each course I teach to include global competency standards. SU’s commitment to educating the whole student is what allows its graduates to achieve such high levels of success.”

The post Ashlie Crosson ’11 named Pennsylvania’s Teacher of the Year appeared first on °”ÍűTV.

Update: Carolyn has been named one of five finalists for the . The nation’s top teacher will be announced in the spring.

What keeps Carolyn Kuhr ’98 Kielma coming back to teaching year after year is not the biology content she teaches, but the connections she shares with her students.

Kielma was named Connecticut’s Teacher of the Year by Gov. Ned Lamont and the Connecticut State Department of Education. She teaches biology and biotechnology and forensics at Bristol Eastern High School.

“I am elated and honored to represent my students and my city,” Kielma said. “The longer the dust settles, the more overwhelmed with gratitude I am. So many former students, colleagues and parents are reaching out to congratulate me and wish me luck. I had no idea how much I was able to impact my community.”

Growing up, Kielma said she was a curious child with an early passion for learning. Upon graduating from °”ÍűTV, she worked several concurrent jobs while saving up to continue her education at graduate school — which she did, graduating in 2002 with a Master of Education from the University of New Haven.

“After my first few years in the profession, I discovered that learning science is not truly the goal for my students,” Kielma said. “I now believe teaching is not only about the content but about helping youth become better humans. I strive to be the type of teacher that I needed in my adolescent years — the trusted adult that students can come to when they need help, whether inside or outside the classroom.”

Now 20 years into her career, Kielma said she still gets excited when chatting with her current students about the research opportunities they could have if they find mentors like the ones she had at °”ÍűTV, including Jack Holt, professor of biology; Peggy Peeler, Charles B. Degenstein professor of biology; Tom Peeler, associate professor emeritus of biology; and David Richard, presidential professor of biology.

“I will never forget being able to keep frog hearts beating in culture on a petri dish during cell biology lab and trudging through the waters collecting samples from the °”ÍűTV River during limnology,” she said. “They supported me by believing in me, even when I didn’t. That’s one of the most important gifts I can give my current students too.”

Kielma also believes in students she’s never met — those at °”ÍűTV who are just on the precipice of beginning their own careers in teaching.

“I think the greatest advice I can offer is to be patient with yourself — honing a craft like education takes time. Lean into the educators in your building; within your school will be a group of highly educated, motivated and courageous professionals who understand the power of lifelong learning. Trust in them and trust in yourself,” Kielma said. “Remember to stay positive and do not get caught up in negativity because you are making a difference, even if it is with one student at a time.”

The post Biology alumna finalist for national Teacher of the Year appeared first on °”ÍűTV.

As a literacy fellow, Olson, of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, worked alongside a team of teachers. Many students came from families of limited financial means, with some experiencing neglect or mistreatment. This impacted their ability to concentrate, to identify and cope with strong emotions, and to thrive in the classroom. In response to this, Olson took a holistic approach to her teaching. She made her classroom a safe space for the children, offering a listening ear, extra help and emotional support. Additionally, she was trained in the science of reading, leadership, social-emotional learning, and community and spiritual development.

Olson’s experience gave her the opportunity to reflect on the importance of equal education, regardless of socioeconomic status, country, race, religion and gender, having worked with children from many diverse backgrounds.

“This internship helped me gain perspective on the systemic issues rooted in education,” Olson said. “Before the initial start date, I had not seen firsthand what it means to live in a large under-resourced urban neighborhood.”

Experiencing what she calls “many successes” in Memphis, Olson watched her students come to class excited to learn. “They showed up each day to grow in their love for learning, and that’s truly heartwarming,” Olson said. “There is something so beautiful about seeing students make progress and become proud of who they are.”

Olson credited her academic advisor Sarah Edwards Moore, associate professor of education, with teaching her what it means to be a culturally responsive teacher and giving her the tools needed to thrive in the classroom. “Dr. Moore’s support and constant words of encouragement have affirmed my decision to go into education,” Olson said.

Upon graduation from °”ÍűTV, Olson plans to move back to Tennessee to work with the Teach for America Corps, an organization dedicated to eliminating educational inequality. Corps members teach in one of 52 low-income areas for at least two years. She will work in Nashville as an elementary English language arts teacher.

The post Literacy fellow finds purpose in teaching appeared first on °”ÍűTV.

Taiisha Swinton-Buck ’08, principal of Baltimore’s Digital Harbor High School and Maryland Association of Secondary School Principals’ 2021 Principal of the Year, will deliver the keynote address at °”ÍűTV’s 164th Commencement on Saturday, May 28.

Born and raised in Mount Vernon, New York, Swinton-Buck pursued her passion for English–secondary education at °”ÍűTV and went on to earn both her master’s degree in educational administration and doctorate in educational leadership from Drexel University.

Swinton-Buck is committed to supporting teachers in the work to expand educational opportunities for all students. The nine years she served in a large, comprehensive high school with diverse populations were foundational in developing her leadership style, and she has continued to see the importance of building a positive climate and culture through targeted professional development and full integration of social-emotional learning for staff and students.

“Taiisha’s work to make education inclusive, equitable and accessible is an inspiration to me. Taiisha has taken the skills and values she gained from °”ÍűTV, enhanced with her continued educational and professional experience, and is now multiplying her impact with her students,” said °”ÍűTV President Jonathan Green. “I can think of no one more worthy to bring before our graduates to offer her message of persistence, perseverance and hope for the future.”

Setting Records at Digital Harbor High School

As principal of Baltimore’s Digital Harbor High School, Swinton-Buck has made record-setting impacts in attendance, grade averages and graduation rates and created a robust secondary incentive system to reduce suspensions and classroom incidents. She built a positive behavioral reinforcement program that focuses on student needs and wants. For example, through her connection to a local beauty school, she implemented an incentive program for her students to be rewarded with haircuts and hairstyles while in school. Her mantra is “connection before content” and she knows most of her 1,300 students by name and always seeks to know their story.

Swinton-Buck works just as hard to provide students with resources that impact their education outside the classroom. To assist with food insecurity, she helped secure a Safeway grant to fund grocery gift cards and catered meals for students and their families. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Swinton-Buck worked tirelessly to ensure that all students had access to technology to participate in distance learning. Under her leadership, over 1,100 laptops and 300 hot spots were deployed to her students to help bridge the digital divide.

Perhaps most significantly, Swinton-Buck has taken proactive measures to dismantle inequitable practices in school by bringing equity to the forefront through the appointment of a Dean of Equity and Anti-Racism and has restructured her leadership team as the Equity Leadership Team. She has developed a new school structure for student wholeness that is reimagining the discipline structure to focus on the whole child and the whole community. This restorative justice and equity lens is driving her mission to ensure students receive an equitable education.

Celebrated by Today Show

In recognition of her tireless work on behalf of her students, Swinton-Buck was named Maryland’s 2021 Principal of the Year, and appeared on the with 100 of her students. During the live, national broadcast, host Al Roker surprised every student at Digital Harbor High School with a free laptop and a year of free internet access.

Upon defending her dissertation titled “Teaching Inner-city Youth When Pedagogy Is Not Enough: A Phenomenological Study °”ÍűTV Change Agent Teachers,” Swinton-Buck dedicated it to her students, saying, “I dedicate this dissertation to every student who has sat in my classroom or walked the hallways of a school I have led. You are my hope for the future and fuel for my commitment to dismantling, disrupting, and destroying all barriers that stand in the way of your greatness.”

°”ÍűTV’s 164^th Commencement, celebrating the Class of 2022, is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, May 28, in the Field House of the James W. Garrett Sports Complex.

The post Taiisha Swinton-Buck ’08 Announced as 2022 Commencement Speaker appeared first on °”ÍűTV.

Find out where a few of °”ÍűTV’s River Hawks landed over the past year.

Valedictorian Lands in Oregon Forest

Valedictorian Kara Eckert ’20 recently moved across the country to work as a botanist assistant for the U.S. Forest Service in La Grande, Oregon, where she will be conducting range monitoring in riparian areas as well as more forested mountainous areas in the Wallowa-Whitman Forest.

“I’ll be helping with many wild plant surveys to assess the health of the ecosystem, determine if invasive species are taking over, if actions need to be taken to remove those species, and if certain native plants are at an adequate stage of maturity to be grazed by cattle,” she said.

Eckert, a biology and Spanish studies major, was on tour with °”ÍűTV’s choir when the university announced an extended spring break in response to the escalating Covid-19 pandemic, but Eckert knew in her heart things were going to get worse. Saying goodbye to her fellow choir members, Eckert said, was the hardest part of 2020.

“I realized at that moment that I wouldn’t be able to sing in a special senior quartet at the end of the year, I wouldn’t be able to finish my plant research project that I had designed myself, and I wouldn’t be able to say goodbye to many of my friends that had left earlier on break,” she said.

Given her recent relocation to Oregon, Eckert won’t be able to attend the Class of 2020 commencement ceremony in person but does plan to tune in virtually.

“Attending is important to recognize our perseverance and determination in trailblazing the first pandemic virtual school,” Eckert said. “Watching the ceremony virtually is my way of giving a huge hug and high five to all my peers who pulled through and have accomplished some amazing feats.”

‘Outstanding Senior’ Eager to Reunite with Alumni

Since graduating, Donovan Gayles ’20 has worked as an organizer on the 2020 presidential campaign and participated in a highly selective, highly competitive graduate level fellowship called Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs, which develops emerging leaders to work and lead across different sectors by equipping them with knowledge, skills and networks to accelerate positive change.

Gayles, a political science and public policy major, is eager to rejoin his fellow alumni at their long-awaited commencement ceremony. He won the Outstanding Senior Award last year from °”ÍűTV’s Alumni Association.

“There was no doubt that the reasons behind postponing the Class of 2020 graduation were in the best interest of all students, faculty and parents in order to keep them healthy and safe,” Gayles said. “However, I was excited to learn that we would have a chance to reconvene as a class one more time to commemorate the completion of our °”ÍűTV undergraduate degrees together and am looking forward to seeing my classmates again.”

Gayles is currently conducting his Coro Fellowship remotely from New Jersey and will begin graduate school in the fall at the University of Michigan as a Rackham Master’s Fellow.

2010 Alumna Becomes First Master of Education Graduate

Oriana Auman ’10 became the first graduate of °”ÍűTV’s Master in Education program when she earned her graduate degree in curriculum and instruction in 2020.

Auman’s undergraduate degree is in early childhood education PreK-4. She is currently a teaching in the Shikellamy School District.

“I decided to pursue my master’s because I wanted to better serve my students and better understand how curriculums are designed and implemented,” Auman said.

Taking 12 credits a year over a total of two and a half years, Auman learned how to balance her personal and professional lives with becoming a student again. During her time back in a college classroom, Auman even had a baby and said she learned to work during her baby’s naps and to rely on her husband.

Auman said her experience with °”ÍűTV’s Master’s in Education program as “hands-on and beneficial.” She spoke highly of her advisor, Chris Tiday, director of teacher interns and auxiliary programs, praising her willingness to meet via Zoom or in-person.

Auman is currently completing a second master’s degree through Wilkes University.

The post Class of 2020: What Have They Been Up To? appeared first on °”ÍűTV.

New Jersey Native Graduates with Three Degrees

Amanda Gillette ’21 will graduate from °”ÍűTV with an astonishing three bachelor’s degrees and a minor in the Honors program.

Gillette entered SU with a double-major in creative writing and publishing and editing, and later expanded this course load to include a third major in German studies. She was able to complete all three degrees in four years at °”ÍűTV and also completed a semester studying abroad in Germany during that time. She credits her three academic advisors for “showing me the value of a liberal arts education and giving me that boost of confidence I needed to take on whatever I chose to pursue.”

“My advisors worked together to develop the best curriculum sequences for me to ensure I could complete my requirements despite the fact that some courses are only offered in certain semesters,” Gillette said.

Despite her heavier-than-normal course load, Gillette said that “during my time at °”ÍűTV, I have had so much fun: dancing the night away at our nightclub, Trax, petting goats and getting lost in the corn maze at Ard’s Farm, taking walks down to the °”ÍűTV River, meeting friends for brunch at the Kind CafĂ©, or just having a picnic on Deg Lawn.”

Gillette, of Hillsborough, New Jersey, has been accepted to four graduate school programs and is deciding between a publishing and writing master’s degree at Emerson College, Boston, or a publishing master’s and creative writing master’s in fine arts double-degree option at Rosemont College, Philadelphia.

“I am someone who is interested in learning above all else, and who has myriad interests that drive me. I chose to pursue three majors, held offices in clubs, engaged in internships and developed my own programming for students because I wholeheartedly wanted to, not because I was thinking about some end goal or impact on my future,” Gillette said.

Finance Major Lands Job at JPMorgan Chase

Finance major Alex Tobin ’21 has already accepted a position with JPMorgan Chase.

“I took business courses all throughout high school, and finance was the best fit for me, and so I chose to attend the Sigmund Weis School of Business,” Tobin said when asked why he chose finance.

While at °”ÍűTV, Tobin, of Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania, had internships to help prepare him for life after °”ÍűTV, including at Wegmans Food Markets and an international internship in London with the company Green Wallet.

“Green Wallet really started my interest in sustainability and helped me learn many valuable business skills,” Tobin said.

While at °”ÍűTV, Tobin also had the opportunity to connect with alumni, including participating in a mock interview with Kyle Robertson ’11, vice president for asset management at JPMorgan Chase.

Tobin said he is confident he can handle his upcoming job based on his experience with °”ÍűTV and the Sigmund Weis School of Business.

“It’s very relieving to have a job after graduation,” Tobin stated. “It helps alleviate some of the pressures of graduating after four years.”

Math Major Graduates at 19

Eager to graduate high school and begin her college career at °”ÍűTV, Mara Hashuga, of Coal Township, Pennsylvania, earned her diploma in just three years by skipping study halls.

She didn’t originally plan to earn her bachelor’s degree in three years, but that’s just what she’s done. Hashuga originally planned to major in mathematics and education, so she overloaded her courses, taking about 20 credits a semester. When she decided to drop her education major, she found herself positioned to nab her degree early.

When she graduates May 15, Hashuga will be just 19 years old.

She said she still wants to teach math, just at the college level. After graduation, Hashuga will attend George Mason University to earn her doctorate in mathematics.

“From all the way back in elementary school, I liked math. It was always my favorite subject,” Hashuga said. “I enjoy the problem-solving. It’s like a puzzle. I like the finality of getting an answer.”

Hashuga credits two people with inspiring her to pursue mathematics as a career – her grandfather and her mentor, Alathea Jensen, assistant professor of math and computer science.

“My grandfather was a teacher and I would always go to school with him and I would say, ‘Look at all of this crazy math I learned,’ and try to teach it to him,” Hashuga remembered. “He kept drilling into me, ‘You should be a math teacher.’”

It was Jensen who allowed Hashuga to imagine herself as a college mathematics professor.

“I had her every semester until final semester. I was definitely stressed sometimes, and Dr. Jensen was so nice to talk to,” Hashuga said. “Sometimes I felt like I was going in for a therapy session.”

Hashuga admits she tends to sell herself short, despite her clear accomplishment of graduating early with a notoriously difficult major.

“I’m good at doubting myself,” she said. “People would complement me for graduating early and I would say, ‘It wasn’t that hard. I just didn’t take a study hall. Anyone could have done it.’ I need to step back and remember that if it was so easy, everyone would be doing it.”

History Major Headed to Duke Divinity

As °”ÍűTV seniors gear up to take flight for graduation, many are going to different nests; this includes Max Miller ’21, who will pursue a master’s degree in theological studies at Duke University’s Divinity School, with plans to eventually enter a PhD program.

At °”ÍűTV, Miller majored in history, which he’s always been passionate about.

“I took European history 1648-present my freshman year and it really just took off from there,” he said. “Since then, I’ve done classes on the holocaust, early church history and the French revolution.”

Miller said he enjoys exploring the different viewpoints of religion, which he said prepared him well for Duke’s theological program.

“My history degree has also prepared me well with research and writing skills, especially when writing my capstone in the fall,” Miller said.

Miller was raised in the Lutheran faith and attended chapel regularly over the past year, he said. He also participated in SU’s interfaith fellowship program. Miller said he is considering entering the ministry, but is currently just looking forward to pursuing his area of scholarship.

“I am excited for the next couple years and look forward to studying things I truly have a passion for,” he said.

The post Class of 2021: Where are They Going? appeared first on °”ÍűTV.

Although Grace said she was “devasted” when her study-abroad program was cut short, she chose to channel her emotions into her TAPIF application so that she could return “to the place that seemed completely out of reach while I was growing up.”

“I tried to channel all my energy into preparing for the application process, as well as putting as much effort into my French courses because I did not want my progress to slow down,” Grace said. “I wrote in French on my whiteboard calendar, ‘A new day is another day closer to France,’ to help me stay motivated and feel more at peace that I would make it back there one day.”

Grace’s position with TAPIF runs Oct. 1, 2021-April 30, 2022.

“My °”ÍűTV education, combined with the TAPIF program, will allow me to improve in my French competencies and gain a deeper understanding of the French culture, all while getting to practice teaching English,” Grace said. “I felt this program would be perfect for giving me the professional development necessary to be able to provide the quality education my future students deserve.”

The goal of TAPIF is to strengthen English-language instruction in French schools by establishing a native speaker presence, while also providing American Francophiles with excellent teaching experience and first-hand knowledge of French language and culture.

Every year, more than 1,500 American English language teaching assistants are hired by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States, which manages the program. These assistants teach in public schools across all regions of metropolitan France and in the overseas departments of France such as French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and RĂ©union.

The post Grad to Return to France After Covid Cuts Study Abroad Short appeared first on °”ÍűTV.

Once the pandemic hit, those experiences came to a halt.

“It has been extremely hard losing these interactions, especially the after-school program,” Lares said. “I made so many connections with the students and going from seeing them twice a week to not at all has been heartbreaking.”

In the face of losing in-person contact with her students, Lares was eager to turn her attention to United We Learn, a virtual tutoring program developed by the Greater °”ÍűTV Valley United Way in close partnership with our Johnson Center for Civic Engagement and Bucknell University.

Launched during the fall 2020 semester, United We Learn pairs college students with K–12 students from a wide area around °”ÍűTV, including Snyder, Union and Northumberland counties, for online tutoring and academic mentorship.

Lares, through her work as an SU Service Leader with the United Way, helped to create the training °”ÍűTV students must undergo before they can be matched with a student mentee, a process she also manages.

One of those tutors is Erin Holland ’21, also a Service Leader placed with the United Way. Like Lares, she also saw her in-person instruction options evaporate with the onset of the pandemic.

“I was supposed to complete my practicum in the fall, then my student teaching this semester at Shikellamy High School. Because of the higher risk of bringing college students into the school district along with the students and teachers, my experience has been entirely remote,” Holland said. “It was really hard to lose that in-person interaction with these students because I feel so disconnected from them.”

Holland recently began tutoring a student in the Shikellamy Virtual Academy in mathematics, Holland’s major, and she said the experience has been wonderful.

“It is super fulfilling to have one-on-one instructional time with a student who is learning the same content that I am teaching to my students,” she said. “I feel like it is benefitting me as a student teacher while also helping the student, so I am loving it!”

The pandemic has turned education upside down. Lares and Holland believe virtual services like United We Learn are crucial for students and parents to persevere during this stressful time.

“This is an extremely important service to offer parents and families, especially of students who have moved to remote learning,” Holland said. “Not every family has the resources to help their students who may be struggling.”

“Online tutoring doesn’t require transportation,” Lares added. “Parents don’t have to worry about getting their children to a certain destination on time and with the elimination of travel time, there is more time for tutoring.”

After graduation, Lares plans to become a learning support or autism spectrum disorder classroom teacher, with plans to eventually transition into education administration. Holland hopes to become a high school mathematics teacher.

The post SU Tutors Offer Virtual Academic Support to Local K-12 Students appeared first on °”ÍűTV.

“The wolf spider demonstrates extensive parental care,” said, “however, they may also abandon or cannibalize their egg sacs.”

Persons, along with °”ÍűTV alumna Megan Marchetti ’11, currently a science teacher at Carlisle Area School District, found that the older the female wolf spider, the less likely she was to cannibalize or abandon her young.

Persons and Marchetti tested the effects of egg sac damage and the number of egg sacs a spider has produced (first-time mom versus second-time mom) on the abandonment and cannibalism decisions by 200 female wolf spiders.

They divided the spiders into four groups: spiders with intact first and second egg sacs, and spiders with damaged first and second egg sacs. They then daily monitored egg sac abandonment and cannibalism and measured differences in how the spiders searched for missing egg sacs and protected or groomed damaged egg sacs.

Their research found that first-time spider moms abandoned and cannibalized damaged egg sacs significantly more compared to undamaged egg sacs.

However, second-time spider moms were less bothered by egg sac damage and spent significantly more time protecting their second egg sacs compared to spiders with first egg sacs, and groomed damaged egg sacs significantly more than their undamaged egg sacs.

“Some animals, when one of their offspring is weak, will cannibalize that offspring in order to devote their full energy to those that are more likely to survive,” Persons explained. “Our findings support the theory that, as animals age and become less likely to produce future young, they are less likely to cannibalize or abandon the ones they have, regardless of how likely those offspring are to survive.”

Alumna uses spiders to connect with middle-school students

This is the first piece of published research for Marchetti, which she said helped her feel connected to science in a new way.

“Having that experience really is invaluable now as I work to inspire my students to be passionate about science and inquiry,” Marchetti said.

After her graduation from °”ÍűTV, Marchetti went on to earn her master’s degree in zoology from Miami University, Ohio, where she continued her research on wolf spiders before shifting her focus to teaching. Marchetti earned a second master’s degree in teaching from Shippensburg University and is now certified to teach biology in grades 6-12. As a seventh-grade life sciences teacher, Marchetti also serves as her school’s science fair coach.

“I hope to be a positive role model for my students, as a woman who has pursued science beyond learning about it in the classroom,” Marchetti said. “I love talking to my students about my experiences doing research and often find ways to tie wolf spiders into my lessons. Getting middle school students to be engaged in science is half the battle, and spiders always seem to hook them!”

The post Research finds older spiders less likely to eat their young appeared first on °”ÍűTV.