Tim Spuck
National Science Foundation
Education and Human Resources Directorate, Division of Graduate Education, Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education Program
Pennsylvania – Grades 8-12, Earth Science, Space Science, Computer Science, and General Science
Timothy S. Spuck has been a science teacher at the Oil City Area Sr. High School since August 1988. Currently he teachers Space Science, Earth Science, Honors Earth/Space Science, Planetarium & Astronomy Research, and Science 12 – Special Topics. He also sponsors the schools Outdoors Club and Astronomy Research Team, serves as the K-12 Science Department Chairperson, and sits on numerous school committees. In addition to his experience at Oil City, he has taught astronomy and earth science classes at the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville, and Clarion University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Spuck has also conducted teacher training for, and participated in curriculum development and implementation for the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Hall of Science, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, National Optical Astronomy Observatory, and the Spitzer Science Center.
Mr. Spuck’s educational background is extensive as well. In 1988 he earned a B.S. in Earth/Space Science & Planetarium Management from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. In 1992 he went on to receive a M.Ed. in Science Education and his Science Supervisory Certification from Clarion as well. Currently he is completing his dissertation at West Virginia University focusing on the process of authentic science education. When completed he will hold an Ed. D. in Curriculum and Instruction/Science Education. Mr. Spuck has also participated in numerous professional development experiences some of which include the Spitzer Space Telescope Research program for Teachers and Students, Teacher Leaders in Research Based Science Education, Hands-On Universe Teacher Resource Agent, Research Experience for Teachers at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Department of Energy Teacher Resource Associate at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the Investigating the Universe program at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.
Throughout his career, Mr. Spuck has received numerous awards including the Intel Science Talent Search Teacher of Merit, Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year Finalist, American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics Educator Achievement Award, Tandy Technology Scholars Award, the Pennsylvania Christa McAuliffe Fellowship, and the Keivin Burns Outstanding Science Teacher Award. He has also been selected to the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope EPO Advisory Board, lead teacher in the NASA-IPAC Teacher Archive Research Program, NASA’s Network of Educator Astronaut Teachers, and the Two Mile Run County Park Advisory Board. Since 1993 Mr. Spuck has worked locally to begin the Oil Region Astronomical Society where he has served as an officer and board member since its inception. He has been awarded over $250,000 in grants and other contributions for various local astronomy education related projects, including the construction of the Oil Region Astronomical Observatory.
Mr. Spuck’s philosophy of education is grounded in two major principles. First, Albert Einstein’s statement, ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.’ Students must be given the opportunity to discover creative solutions to real-world issues. The second is respect. He believes that respect is the foundation upon which all successful relationships are built, and that includes the relationship between teacher and learner. The relationship is a two way street, and often times the teacher becomes the learner and the learner the teacher. If educators build a solid foundation of respect in and out of the classroom, learning will follow.
He has allowed these principals to guide his classroom practice in the form of authentic scientific research conducted by high school students. These efforts have lead to significant contributions in the field of professional astronomy and the local community. In April 1994 two of his students at Oil City High School captured first light from SN 1994I in the whirlpool galaxy. This discovery provided professional astronomers with some of the earliest SN light curve data on record. Again in October 1998, two of his students assisted in the discover of Kuiper Belt object 1998 FS144. This was among the first 100 Kuiper belt objects in history to be discovered. In 2002 his students conducted a two-year scientific research project to measure the Hubble constant using data from the World’s largest radio telescope located in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. And most recently, using the Spitzer Space Telescope, his students have actively participated in the discovery of seven new sun-like stars in their early stages of formation, along with development of a new method for discovering these objects using inexpensive small-scale optical telescopes.
Much of this work has been highlighted in various publications. Examples of publications include Impact Summary: The Spitzer Space Telescope Research Program for Teachers and Students (2010 Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society), Star Formation in Lynds Dark Nebulae (2010 Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society), The Spitzer Space Telescope Research Program for Teachers and Students: The Wiki (2008) Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Resolved Galaxies in the Spitzer Survey of the Taurus Molecular Cloud (2008 Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society), Spitzer Observations of YSO’s in the Witch Head Nebula (2007 Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society), A Voyage Through the Radio Universe (2004 – The Science Teacher), Research Experience for Teachers at NRAO-Green Bank: Measuring HI Luminosity- linewidth Profiles of Faint Galaxies (2000 Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society), and other publications such as The Radio Moon and Hands-On Universe Asteroid Search.
Mr. Spuck is serving his second fellowship year at the National Science Foundation, Education and Human Resources Directorate, Division of Graduate Education, Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education Program.