Vorticity Academic Consulting
Vorticity is a measure of rotation in a fluid. In meteorology, we study the atmosphere as a fluid, and measuring and tracking the vorticity in the atmosphere is a valuable way of tracking and predicting where interesting weather will be found.
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I named my business Vorticity Academic Consulting partly as an homage to my academic discipline and partly as a nod to the idea that, when we are struggling with new concepts - when our minds are spinning, if you will - we are doing our best learning.
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Let me be your coach through the whirlwind of learning!
About Dr. Ellis
An Educator for All People, for 30 Years and Counting...
I have been educating people since before I graduated from High School in Butler, PA, in the 1990s. I designed and led "Project: Internet," an award-winning teacher professional development workshop on using the new Internet system installed that year. Since then, I have tutored or taught every year: student-athletes at Penn State trying to pass Physics, classmates studying for exams, recitation sections for Intro to Meteorology for 4 semesters, and supporting the Atmospheric Dynamics courses at Colorado State University.
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After earning my Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science, I earned my first professor position at SUNY Oneonta in Meteorology. I taught courses from introductory Meteorology and Oceanography to Atmospheric Radiation and Thermodynamics. I developed a Linux computer lab and a curriculum to teach majors how to use it for various purposes. I earned over $1.5M in research and education grants and was a 2015 SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching winner. And I'm proudest of all to say that I have an academic family tree with several doctoral scientists and highly regarded professionals in all walks of life.
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My research focused on education, primarily informal education and teacher education. I was the Education Lead Scientist for NASA's CloudSat mission and a partner for the GLOBE Program. This work took me all around the world to train teachers on observing clouds when satellites passed overhead and then using that data to improve satellite performance. I presented lectures in Greenland, India, the Netherlands, and across the United States. I also ran open house exhibits at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA, where I was well known for my hands-on demonstrations of clouds and satellites. This work eventually led me to take a job at Western Michigan University in 2015, where I focused on education research and helped teachers prepare for the Next Generation Science Standards. Alas, my health began to fail, and I left employment in 2019.
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I tutor as a way to continue to give back to students in my community. I love finding ways to connect learners with tangible examples of science in action. I love supporting student investigations as well. I hope I can help you on your journey.
