Ross, Ph.D., Donna is a Science Education faculty member at San Diego State University and the Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education. Dr. Ross teaches science education courses to pre-service students and in-service teachers. In addition, she is the advisor for a new credential program cohort of future math and science teachers. When she isn’t focused on science, she dabbles in educational technology. She serves as the CSU Digital Ambassador for the SDSU campus. Dr. Ross has been a PI or Co-PI on over $6 million in NSF-funded grants, in addition to local and state grants. She is currently co-PI on two NSF-funded Noyce projects. Her research interests on these grants focus on teachers’ attention to student ideas in science and how that attending influences instructional moves in the classroom. She has also explored the influence of international experiences on teachers and students from high need schools.

Dr. Ross has an unusual double bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Molecular Biology. Her master’s degree is in Marine Ecology. Before beginning at SDSU, Dr. Ross was a K-12 teacher. She has taught grades K, 2, 3, 4, 10, 12. Several of those years included teaching migrant education in Oregon. She also worked briefly as a wetlands biologist before returning to her teaching passion. She received her Ph.D. at the University of Washington and has been a faculty member at SDSU for 16 years. Recently, she has been deeply involved with supporting teachers’ transition to NGSS.