NASA Nebraska Space Grant

Judi teaches Astronomy and Honors Astronomy at Burke High School.  She has spent 23 years working with the students of Omaha Public Schools and 21 of those years have been at Burke High.  While teaching a variety of classes early in her career, including Biology, Earth Science, Physical Science and Physics, she has spent the last decade focused on Astronomy.  Burke High has a planetarium and besides teaching, she also is the director of the planetarium.

Judi is an active member of the WAC (Western Alliance Conference) of planetariums.  She has been a SOFIA AAA ambassador since 2014.  Although early in her teaching career the thought of trying to apply and teach the big concepts of space was intimidating, she has worked hard to improve her understanding and application of these concepts to improve her teaching.  She welcomed the opportunities that NASA Nebraska Space Grant has afforded her to improve her knowledge, application, and experiences involving space and the opportunities and challenges that it offers.

Judi is an active member of her Burke community.  She currently is attached to all athletic programs as the Academic Coach.  She works to make sure student-athletes are eligible to play at the high school level and works on encouraging them in their grades and ACT skills so that they are prepared if they are willing and capable of playing sports at the college level.

Judi currently lives and works in the Omaha area but grew up in Northeast Nebraska (Pierce) and still has ties to the area.  She is excited to work with teachers to help them add “SPACE” to their classroom and curriculum.