# Breaking the Mold: An Educational Perspective on Diffusion of Innovation/Contributors' Biographies

| Ritu Chatterjee | Ritushree Chatterjee is a graduate student in Curriculum and Instructional Technology at Iowa State University. After completion of her degree she aims to work as an instructional designer and make a significant contribution to the field. She previously holds a Masters degree in Environmental Science from Iowa State University and was working as a research assistant for three years before returning to graduate school. She is originally from Delhi, India, where she did her undergraduate study in Chemistry. She currently stays in Ames, Iowa, with her husband and their two year old daughter, Anika. |
| | Jessie Christensen is a graduate student in Curriculum and Instructional Technology at Iowa State University. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education with a specialization in English/Language Arts and a Reading Endorsement certificate, both also from Iowa State University. Her professional interests are directed towards the introduction and enhancement of technology in the education systems of inner city schools, particularly those in her hometown of Des Moines, Iowa. She has worked as a student teacher in both elementary and secondary. She has also worked among pre-school aged children in local daycare systems. She is active on the Iowa State campus as the president of a creative writing club. |
| Dr. Ana-Paula Correia | Ana-Paula Correia is an Associate Professor in the Iowa State University School of Education and a faculty member with the Human-Computer Interaction program at Iowa State University. She has a Ph.D. in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University, Bloomington. Her current research program encompasses three interrelated foci: collaborative learning, online learning and teaching, and curriculum development in educational technology. These overlap significantly because they are connected to a common and underlying theme in her research: Instructional Design. She teaches graduate courses on change management and diffusion of innovation, instructional design, program evaluation and educational consulting. For more info check: Ana-Paula Correia |
| Rachel Finken | Rachel Finken is a Technology Educator for Des Moines Public Schools where she works with middle-level educators to infuse technology into their classrooms and instruction. Concurrently she is pursuing a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instructional Technology at Iowa State University. Finken earned her Bachelor of Science degree majoring in both Secondary Education and History at Drake University. She has been a teacher with Des Moines Public Schools for eight years and has served as Social Studies Department Chair, Member of the Building Leadership Team and Building Technology Specialist for Nathan Weeks Middle School in Des Moines, Iowa. A native of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, she enjoys spending time with her husband and son. |
| Lisa Gestrine | Lisa Gestrine is a graduate student in Curriculum and Instructional Technology at Iowa State University. A native from Peoria, Illinois, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education with a specialization in English/Language Arts and a minor in Educational Technology, also from Iowa State University. Her professional interests are directed towards instructional design, and she one day would like to hold a corporate career. Gestrine is active on the Iowa State campus as the General Co-Director of Dance Marathon, the university's largest student run philanthropy. |
| Erin Kramer | Erin Kramer is a native of Hampton, Iowa. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics with minors in French and Music from Iowa State University. She also received certifications in 7-12 mathematics and 7-12 French and a coaching authorization. Kramer taught high school mathematics for six years before returning to pursue her Master's degree in Curriculum and Instructional Technology at Iowa State University. Her professional interests focus on the use of technology to help learners in the high school math classroom. Erin enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons. |
| Jing Liu | Jing Liu is a graduate student in Curriculum and Instructional Technology program at Iowa State University. Her research interest lies in open education, especially in the aspect of the application of online free course management systems such as Moodle and wikis. Liu is also interested in diffusion of innovation theory and practice to support the use of open education resources. |
| Ashaun Moore | Ashaun Moore is a native of Chicago, Illinois. Her interests include reading fiction novels, video gaming, and baking. Ashaun received a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Mathematics Education from Iowa State University. She volunteers with organizations that provided support for underrepresented students in the Ames, Iowa community. Moore has held leadership positions in ISU Leaders in Education and Diversity, an Iowa State student organization dedicated to promoting diversity in the field of education and provide networking opportunities for pre-service teachers. She is currently working towards a Master of Education degree in Curriculum & Instructional Technology at Iowa State University. Moore plans on traveling through Europe and working as an educator. |
| BPardo | Belén Pardo earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Computer Information Systems from San Francisco State University. She is a native of Spain. Throughout her life, she has lived in Spain, San Francisco Bay Area, Paris, and now in Ames, Iowa with her husband and two daughters. She has worked for different international organizations and now is a graduate student in the Interdisciplinary Studies Program at Iowa State University. Pardo enjoys traveling and spending time with her family. |
| Greg and Lya Rivers | A native of Watertown, New York, Greg Rivers is a former journalist and has been a high school teacher for the last 14 years, nine in Arizona and the last five in Norwalk, Iowa. Rivers is also currently in the Ph.D. program at Iowa State University's School of Education, with an interest in literacy among at-risk adolescents. He holds BA and M.Ed. degrees from Arizona State University, and spends what little free time he has with his wife, Lya, and their two dogs. |
| Lily Zhou | Chuanli (Lily) Zhou is a graduate student in Curriculum and Instructional Technology at Iowa State University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a specialization in English Education from China. After that, she worked as an English teacher in a public middle school in China for two years before furthering her studies at Iowa State University. Her professional interests are Education, Modern Science and Technology, and Diffusion. Zhou currently resides in Ames, Iowa with her husband. |