Julie Kurth, Communication Manager
(480) 727-9386 | julie.kurth@asu.edu
June 19, 2007
Biodesign Institute appoints Fisher to develop educational outreach programs
The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University has hired Richard D. Fisher, MA, MEd, as director of educational outreach. He will design and implement a comprehensive local, state and national public and K-12 outreach program and assist in the institute’s undergraduate training programs.
“Preparing the next generation of scientists is an important goal for the Biodesign Institute. Rick has a proven track record of working with educators to build programs that encourage young people to pursue studies and careers in science, technology and engineering,” said Kimberly Ovitt, director of communication and institutional advancement.
The institute currently provides hands-on training to 250 undergraduate and graduate students per semester. Last year, it introduced summer high school internships and now seeks to expand its outreach efforts to encompass additional grade levels and educator training through a variety of programs.
Fisher joins the Biodesign Institute with more than 16 years educational outreach experience. Prior to his current appointment, he served as the vice president of educational programs at the Orlando Science Center. He also directed the educational outreach efforts of Florida State and Florida A&M universities’ joint College of Engineering as the founding director of an aerospace-themed regional science center.
At the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Fisher directed a public and education outreach science center and was the founding director of two residential environmental education centers in the southern Appalachian region. In addition, Fisher has worked as a consultant for the University of South Florida’s Coalition for Science Literacy.
Formerly a university lecturer and adjunct professor at Northern Arizona University, Coconino Community College, and Florida Metropolitan University, Fisher has taught in the areas of geography, environmental, and earth sciences. He started his career as an infantry officer and rotary-wing aviator in the U.S. Army.
Fisher earned a BS in geography at Northern Arizona University and went on to complete a master’s degree in earth sciences and a second master’s degree in education.
The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University improves human health and quality of life through team-based innovation in health care, energy and the environment, global public health, and enhanced national security. By fusing bioscience/biotechnology, nanoscale engineering and advanced computing, the Biodesign Institute focuses on deliverables to benefit of both current and future generations.
