Four Illinois and Indiana educators will set sail on Lake Michigan aboard EPA’s research ship

Posted June 13th, 2025 in Featured, Great Lakes Data, K-12 Education, News
EPA vessel Lake Guardian awaits Shipboard Science Immersion educators

Illinois Indiana Sea Grant is pleased to announce that four middle and high school science educators—three from Illinois and one from Indiana—have been invited to join the Shipboard Science Immersion, where they’ll join the Center for Great Lakes Literacy (CGLL) team and Great Lakes scientists to work aboard an EPA research vessel July 7–13, 2025.  

Through a partnership with the EPA Great Lakes National Program Office and NOAA, and with funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the educators will spend a full week alongside researchers aboard the EPA R/V Lake Guardian. Afterwards, they will bring Great Lakes science back to their classrooms. 

The Illinois and Indiana-based educators are:

  • Gerard Kovach is a science teacher at Decatur Classical School in Chicago. Kovach, who was recently named Educator of the Year by Friends of the Chicago River, leads middle school students in ongoing ecological research tied to local waterways, including the Chicago River and Lake Michigan.
  • Ryan Johnson is a 7–8 grade science teacher at Jovita Idár Elementary School in Chicago where he incorporates hydroponics, aquaponic and community-based environmental action projects into his curriculum.
  • Amy Truemper is a 7–8 grade science teacher at Bednarcik Junior High School in Oswego, Illinois. Truemper leads her school’s award-winning environmental club, coordinates water quality testing along the Fox River and incorporates programs like Trout in the Classroom and Shedd Aquarium’s stewardship partnerships into her curriculum. 
  • Eric Parr is a 10-12 grade earth and space science teacher at Pike High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. Parr engages students in hands-on water quality testing and ecological studies at the school’s outdoor lab. He also supports astronomy instruction through the school’s planetarium and recently led a NASA-supported solar telescope project during the 2024 eclipse.

Overall, fifteen educators from across the Great Lakes were selected to work aboard the Lake Guardian. The Shipboard Science Immersion promotes Great Lakes sciences while forging lasting relationships between researchers and educators in the region. Hosts for the Lake Michigan expedition are CGLL partners Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and Wisconsin Sea Grant.

CGLL is a collaborative effort led by Great Lakes Sea Grant program educators. CGLL fosters informed and responsible decisions that advance basin-wide stewardship by providing hands-on experiences, educational resources and networking opportunities promoting Great Lakes literacy among an engaged community of educators, scientists and youth.

For more information on the 2025 Shipboard Science Immersion visit the Center for Great Lakes Literacy website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

IISG Instagram

Science Sips is a series hosted by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, Sketchbook Brewing Company, and Northwestern University’s Center for Water that brings together researchers, scientists, and curious minds over good conversation and cold drinks. Each event features experts sharing their work in an accessible, informal setting. No lab coat required.

At this gathering, Chicago author Dick Lanyon will take us back in time with a look at the history behind the construction of the Calumet and Chicago waterways and how these feats of engineering shape the region we live in today. Austin Happel from Shedd Aquarium will also share the latest research on fish communities in the Chicago River, including what the science is telling us right now about the health of this urban waterway.

Stick around to test your Great Lakes knowledge with a round of trivia!

Details at the link in bio.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18108050597053911
Science Sips is a series hosted by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, Sketchbook Brewing Company, and Northwestern University’s Center for Water that brings together researchers, scientists, and curious minds over good conversation and cold drinks. Each event features experts sharing their work in an accessible, informal setting. No lab coat required.At this gathering, Chicago author Dick Lanyon will take us back in time with a look at the history behind the construction of the Calumet and Chicago waterways and how these feats of engineering shape the region we live in today. Austin Happel from Shedd Aquarium will also share the latest research on fish communities in the Chicago River, including what the science is telling us right now about the health of this urban waterway.Stick around to test your Great Lakes knowledge with a round of trivia!Details at the link in bio.

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Using remote sensing, aerial imagery, and AI, this Purdue PhD student maps flood impacts on road networks so first responders and city officials can act faster and smarter.

🔗 Learn more about Tianle’s research at the link in bio.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 17930665056091223
A flooded street isn't just a local problem. When roads flood, the ripple effects reshape how an entire city moves, and IISG grad student scholar, Tianle Duan, is building the tools to track it in real time.Using remote sensing, aerial imagery, and AI, this Purdue PhD student maps flood impacts on road networks so first responders and city officials can act faster and smarter.🔗 Learn more about Tianle’s research at the link in bio.

Teaching plastic pollution? There’s more to it than the 3 Rs.

@NAAEE’s Plastics eeResearch collection pulls together six studies on how to meaningfully educate students, from preschool through middle school, about plastic pollution.

Research-backed, classroom-ready, and free to access.

🔗 Link in bio

📷 Photo credit: NOAA

#TeachingTuesday #PlasticPollution #EnvironmentalEducation

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18154005484475930
Teaching plastic pollution? There’s more to it than the 3 Rs. @NAAEE’s Plastics eeResearch collection pulls together six studies on how to meaningfully educate students, from preschool through middle school, about plastic pollution.Research-backed, classroom-ready, and free to access.🔗 Link in bio📷 Photo credit: NOAA#TeachingTuesday #PlasticPollution #EnvironmentalEducation