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New Haven, Conn., Feb. 13, 2007 – CURE (Connecticut United for Research Excellence) has named Sarah Berke director of BioBus Educational Programs. In that capacity she will oversee all aspects of the programs, including curriculum development, teacher training, logistics, and fundraising.

“We’re delighted to announce this appointment,” said Paul R. Pescatello, president and chief executive officer of CURE. “Sarah’s done great work the past two years on curriculum development and teacher training for the BioBus Educational Programs. Her strong educational background – she holds a doctoral degree in neuroscience – makes her a natural choice to lead the programs now that they are assuming a more prominent role in Connecticut science education.”

Sarah succeeds Donna Rhoads Frost, who has left CURE to pursue educational goals. “We appreciate the hard work Donna put into the programs and the advances they made under her leadership. We wish her well,” Pescatello said.

Continuing as staff of the BioBus Programs are Kerry Donahue, who has been promoted to senior staff scientist, Julie Potter, staff scientist, and Nancy Kennure, science educator. (See the BioBus website for staff biographies.)

Outfitted with the latest in bioscience equipment and state-of-the-art computers, Connecticut’s BioBus is a 40-foot-long mobile science learning center designed to foster the excitement of scientific discovery. Experimental topics include forensics, genetics, human health, disease transmission, and genetic engineering.

Under the BioConnection Program, which is also free of charge, schools are lent laboratory equipment, and teachers are trained to conduct in their own classrooms experiments from the curricula of Connecticut’s BioBus.

Curricula and teacher training in the CURE BioBus Educational Programs have recently been revised with a key goal in mind – preparing Connecticut students and teachers for the new state science mastery standards, including the Connecticut Mastery Test and Connecticut Academic Performance Test. (Read more.)

Since its inception, the Programs have trained more than 600 teachers through professional development workshops and reached more than 52,000 students at over 300 schools. Connecticut’s bioscience industry currently employs more than 17,000 persons and is expected to grow.

Before coming to CURE, Sarah was actively involved in planning neuroscience educational outreach programs at the University of Iowa, including the Iowa Kids Judge! Neuroscience Fairs. She was also a member of the Science and Engineering Development Team at the Iowa Children's Museum. Since moving to Connecticut, she has participated in the New Haven Science Fair Mentor Program and the Connecticut State Science Fair, and continues to present at national science education conferences. Recently she was invited to review science education proposals for the National Science Foundation.

Sarah holds a doctoral degree in neuroscience from the University of Iowa. Her graduate work focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms behind why neurons die, using various neurodegenerative diseases as models. She earned a B.A. degree in biology and psychology from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois.

For more information about the BioBus Educational Programs visit the website at www.ctbiobus.org or contact Sarah Berke at 203-777-8747.

CURE (http://www.curenet.org) is a statewide coalition of over 100 educational and research institutions, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and other supporting businesses. It is dedicated to promoting the growth and increasing public understanding of biomedical research and science in Connecticut.