Valerie Bang-Jensen is Professor of Education at Saint Michael's College, where she has earned the college's Rathgeb Teaching Award. She received her A. B. at Smith College and MA, M. Ed. , and Ed. D. degrees from Teachers College, Columbia University. Valerie has taught in K-6 classrooms and library programs in public and independent schools in the U. S. and Paris, and was the district elementary writing coordinator in Ithaca, New York. She serves as a consultant for museums, libraries, schools and gardens for children. Valerie's areas of interest include children's literature, nonfiction, and connections between literacy and first-hand experiences. Valerie co-founded the Teaching Gardens of Saint Michael's College, including one called Books in Bloom, which features flowers found in children's books. Valerie can be found on Twitter at @VBangJensen.
Mark Lubkowitz is Professor of Biology at Saint Michael's College, where he received the Joanne Rathgeb Teaching Award. He earned a B. S. in Biology at Washington and Lee University and a Ph. D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He was a post-doctoral fellow in plant developmental genetics at the University of California, Berkeley. As a scientist, Mark studies the molecular mechanisms of transporters and the various roles they play in plants. When not in the lab, Mark can be found riding his bike or tending his garden.
