Advisory Board

AESI Advisory Board

Dave Chapman

Mr. Chapman teaches science at Okemos High School and is the science department chairperson.  For his entire teaching career he has been involved in state and national environmental education organizations. In graduate school, Mr. Chapman co-lead an energy education project funded by Consumers Energy. He has also been a leader on the Ingham County Energy Commission, the Meridian Township Wetlands Board, chaired a state conference on groundwater education, headed up a hazardous chemical education project, contributed significantly to the original Michigan bottle deposit campaign, and produced a hazardous chemical waste board game called "Waste Away".

 Matt Morrison

Matt Morrison has taught social studies at OkemosHigh School since 1995. In addition to teaching Advanced Placement US History, he has taught economics, History of Film, 20th Century Humanities, US history, World history, Advanced Placement World History and French I. Matt has worked on many committees over the years, from North Central to the Building Planning Team. In his 14-year tenure as Quiz Bowl coach, the team has won a state championship and other league titles. He has won numerous professional development awards, including two National Endowment for the Humanities seminars: one on Afro-European Colonial Literature and another on the English Industrial Revolution. Matt also spent a sabbatical year abroad on a Fulbright Teaching Exchange to the United Kingdom. 

Coleen Palmer

 

Colleen Palmer teaches Biology and Advanced Placement Biology at Okemos High School. She has been at the high school since 1991. During this time Colleen has reached out in an attempt to encourage more students to pursue advanced study in science. She has coached Science Olympiad and is a presenter at the annual Girls Math and Science conference in Lansing. In the summer, she is a Genetics and Biotechnology instructor for a Math/Science/Technology program at Michigan State University. She is a member of Michigan Science Teachers Association and attends annual conferences for teachers of advanced placement classes. She resides in Okemos with her husband Paul and their three children. Outside of teaching, Colleen enjoys attending her children's athletic events and training for 5K races.

John Olstad

John Olstad is a senior member of the Okemos High School Science Department, where he specializes in Computational Physics and Physical Science. Mr. Olstad is excited about working with the dedicated young people in AESI. In his free time, Mr. Olstad enjoys playing jazz piano, reading books and scuba diving with his wife.