Pam Blanchard received her PhD in Geology and Geophysics from LSU in 1998. She also has a Liberal Arts Degree from the University of St. Thomas, Houston (1981) and a BS in Geology from Lamar University, Beaumont (1992). She was a middle school math and science teacher for 8.5 years in two parochial schools in Texas.
After graduating from LSU, she served as Louisiana Sea Grant College Program’s Education Coordinator for four years. She collaborated with partners to begin Ocean Commotion in 1998 and the LSU Coastal Roots Program in 2000. In 2011, she received the Coastal Stewardship Award from the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. Her responsibilities in the School of Education are focused on helping elementary and secondary science educators teach science in rigorous, creative, meaningful, and engaging ways.
Blanchard, P. B. (2009). Linking the Geologic with the Biologic: Ecological Stewardship as a Means to Teach Geology Related to Coastal Land Loss. The Earth Scientist, 25(2), 14-21.
McHardy, R. J., Blanchard, P. B., & de Wet, C.F. (2009). Gifted Students and Ecological Stewardship. Gifted Child Today, 32(4), 16-23.
Bush, E., & Blanchard, P. B. (2009). Low-Cost Can Yard for School-Based Restoration Nurseries. HortTechnology, 19(4), 818-822.
Karsh, K, Bush, E., Hinson, J., & Blanchard, P. B. (2009). Integrating Horticulture Biology and Environmental Coastal Issues into the Middle School Science Curriculum. HortTechnology, 19(4), 813-817.
Coker, C.E.H., Bachman, G., Boyd, C., Blanchard, P.B., Bush, E., & Gu, M. (2010). Coastal Roots: Connecting students with sustainability in Mississippi and Louisiana. HortTechnology, 20(3), 499-502.
Blanchard, P.B. & Dowell, M-M. (2010).Science and Literacy as Social Responsibility: A Transdisciplinary Approach to Service, Learning and Teacher Preparation. eJournal of Literacy and Social Responsibility, 3(1), 8-22.
Blanchard, P.B. & Buchanan, T. K., (2011). Ecological stewardship in the primary grades. Childhood Education, (Summer), 84(4), 232-238.
Lou, Y., Blanchard, P.B., and Kennedy, E. (2011, in review). Tracking Growth Trends of Science Inquiry Skills: Development, Validation and Equating of Three Forms of Science Inquiry Skills Assessment Using Rasch Modeling, Journal of Research in Science Teaching.
Selected Presentations
Blanchard, P.B., & Lou, Y. (2009, April). Pathways to Inquiry – Earth Science: Online tools to strengthen classroom understanding and integration of science inquiry skills. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, Garden Grove, CA.
Blanchard, P. (2010, September). LSU Coastal Roots Program: Ongoing environmental stewardship in South Louisiana. North American Association of Environmental Education Annual Conference, Niagara Falls, NY. With Coastal Roots teachers Joann Haydel, Susan Koppenol, and MarLane Dows.
Blanchard, P., Fuller, J., Jones, R.M., & Bush, E.W. (2010, October). Facilitating School-Based Restoration Projects: Using performance rubrics and an incentive program to increase school nursery production and engagement in the LSU Coastal Roots Program. Restore America’s Estuaries Annual Meeting, Galveston, TX.
Selected Grants/Funded Projects
LSU Pathways to Inquiry (National Science Foundation: Teacher Professional Continuum., 2006-2009)
LaSPACE/NASA Michoud Education Fellows Program (2008-present)
LSU Coastal Roots (2000-present)
LSU's Coastal Literacy Radio Stewardship Project for Kids (2010-present)