2009 Conference Presenters
Keyote Speaker
Timothy E. Jump
Timothy Jump is the developer and director of the pre-engineering program Advanced Competitive Science at Benilde-St. Margaret’s School in St. Louis Park, MN. He received his BFA from Southern Methodist University in 1983, as well as teaching certificates in mathematics and chemistry in 1985. Mr. Jump also holds an art certification from The University of Dallas (1987).
Mr. Jump’s honors include membership in Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society and inclusion in the Kappa Delta Pi Educators National Honor Society: Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. Additionally, he has been awarded an Ashland Golden Apple Award, 1997; the BSM Teacher of the Year Award, 1997-98; the Presidential Scholar Distinguished Teaching Award, 1999; an MIT Teaching Fellowship, 1999; and an MHTA Tekne Award for Innovation in Teaching, 2005. He has been a guest presenter at MIT MindFest; Singapore Science Center; University of Reading, UK; Bristol Science Center Explor@Bristol, UK; FIRST Scandinavia; Dartmouth College, Thayer School of Engineering; Tufts University, Center for Engineering Education Outreach; University of Wisconsin, Madison School of Engineering Industrial Board; Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference; MHTA Conference; MISF STEM Conference; LifeScience Alley Conference and Expo; and many others.
Along with personal honors, Mr. Jump’s engineering teams have posted honors, including a Certificate of Technological Innovation from the US Department of Commerce; Best Design for Manufacturability from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers; National Engineering Design Challenge National Champions; RoboCup Rescue Robot League US Open Champions; and a top ten finish at the RoboCup Rescue Robot League World Championships. Mr. Jump was the founder of FIRST LEGO League in Minnesota and is a past member of the FIRST LEGO League International and Minnesota advisory boards. He is currently serving on the Minnesota P-16 Education Partnership, Science Instruction Working Group.
Mr. Jump’s teaching experience began as a high school student coaching youth sports, working with students in pre and after-school facilities and as a camp counselor. As a college student, he engaged in a teacher support/mentorship role with inner city school science and math programs. After a stint in the professional world of visual special effects, Mr. Jump has dedicated himself to formal education, with 24 years of classroom teaching experience, eight in Texas and 16 in Minnesota.
Roundtable and Presentation/Lab Presenters
Andrew Behnke, UW-Stout Rube Goldberg Student Coordinato
Andrew Behnke is a senior at University of Wisconsin-Stout in Marketing and Business Education. He is the president of the Marketing and Business Education Association (MBEA) and has been involved with various aspects of the Rube Goldberg Machine contest for the past five years. Andrew coordinates the UW-Stout Regional Rube Goldberg Machine Contest and has established the first UW-Stout Rube Goldberg competition team.
Ted Bensen, Professor, Program Director, Graphic Communications Management, University of Wisconsin-Stout
Dr. Ted M. Bensen serves as Program Director and teaches prepress/premedia, cross-media and management-related courses for the GCM major at UW-Stout.
Craig Cegielski, Technology Education Teacher, Eleva-Strum Central
Craig Cegielski graduated from University of Wisconsin-Stout in 1998 and began his teaching career in Antigo High School, where he taught until 2004, at which time he moved to a new community and worked at machining and welding. He returned to teaching in 2005 and is currently at Eleva-Strum Central.
H. Naik Dharavath, Associate Professor, Graphic Commiunications Management, University of Wisconsin-Stout
Dr. H. Naik Dharavath teaches wide variety of subjects including intro to graphic communications, postpress and distribution management, color management, and print estimating and costing.
Leigh Estabrooks, Invention Education Officer, Lemelson-MIT Program
As invention education officer of the Lemelson-MIT Program, Leigh Estabrooks leads the Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam initiative, which was created to inspire a new generation of inventors. InvenTeams are high school teams that receive grants up to $10,000 each to invent technological solutions to real-world problems. During her tenure, Estabrooks has broadened the initiative's impact by doubling the number of teachers to receive professional development for creativity and invention.
Prior to joining the Lemelson-MIT Program, Estabrooks was an information technology instructor at Pathfinder Regional Technical High School in Massachusetts, where she developed and updated content for the Information Technology Shop. Prior to this, she was a teaching and research assistant in marketing and product management for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at its campus in Hartford, Conn. Earlier in her career, Estabrooks worked in product development and consumer research with Tambrands Inc., Chesebrough-Ponds, Inc. and The Coca- Cola Company.
Sam Goettl, Technology Education, Thorp School District
Sam Goettl is a 2006 graduate of University of Wisconsin-Stout. During his student teaching in New Auburn, Sam became actively involved in the Rube Goldberg competition. He now teaches Technology Education in the School District of Thorp.
Michael E. Gray, Educator, Author, Publisher, Rolling Hills Publishing
Michael Gray is co-author of Auto Upkeep: Basic Car Care, Maintenance, and Repair and publisher of AutoUpkeep.com, Video.AutoUpkeep.com, Forum.AutoUpkeep.com and Blog.AutoUpkeep.com. Auto Upkeep is used by high schools, technology centers, community colleges, universities, home-schoolers and auto owners to help choose a quality repair facility, buy a car, handle roadside emergencies, diagnose common problems and communicate effectively with technicians. Currently, over 40 schools in Wisconsin have adopted Auto Upkeep. Michael Gray has taught at the middle school, high school and university levels. He was also an administrator for Career and Technology Education programs in a public school system.
TJ Hendrickson, Instructor of Technical and Engineering Education
Shakopee, MN
TJ Hendrickson has been teaching for 17 years at Shakopee and is a Master teacher for PLTW/ GTT. His programs at Shakopee have won MTEA runner up jr. high program of the year 2008, SME Building the Future Award 2009, University of Wisconsin at Stout Technology educator for student teachers award 2008, along with many others.
Brent Kindred, State Consultant, Technology and Engineering Education, SkillsUSA State Director, Wisconsin Department of Public Education
Brent Kindred is currently works at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction as the state’s consultant for Technology and Pre-engineering Education programs (6-12 grades). He received his BS in Technology Education from UW-Stout in 1996 and his MS degree in Administrative Leadership and Educational Supervision 1999 from UW-Milwaukee. Mr. Kindred is also SkillsUSA State Director and has been involved with technology education’s student organization since he was a high school student in the late 1980’s. His involvement has included being a student member, advisor and now state director. In Mr. Kindred’s role at DPI, he works with the many groups and areas of technology education. He works with the administration of federal Carl Perkins grant, STEM grants, construction, transportation, graphics, manufacturing, pre-engineering, and many more areas.
Pete Schlosser, Assistant Professor, Graphics Communication Management, University of Wisconsin-Stout
Mr. Pete Schlosser’s areas of specialization include prepress/premedia, cross-media and photography.
James Tenorio, Professor, Graphics Communication Management, University of Wisconsin-Stout
Dr. James Tenorio teaches introduction to graphic communications, press systems for all of the major print reproduction processes, and a senior-level practicum experience.
John Wagner, Chair, Nanoscience Department, Chippewa Valley Technical College
John Wagner joined the Chippewa Valley Technical College in 2007 and is currently the Chairman of the Nanoscience Department. Dr. Wagner holds a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Prior to joining CVTC, he served as a Technical Program Manager for Cray Inc’s 2010 Cascade supercomputer product and as a Chief Engineer for Cray Research, working with advanced high speed bipolar integrated circuits. He has extensive experience in fundamental and applied research related to low pressure discharge chemistry, micro- and nanofabrication and GMR devices. Dr. Wagner holds three patents and has authored 85 papers.
Sara Windjue, Energy Education Specialist, Wisconsin Electrathon Coordinator
Sara Windjue is the energy education specialist with the Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program, a program within the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education housed in the College of Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Sara graduated from Adrian College in Michigan with a bachelor's degree in biology and environmental science. She then went on to receive her master’s degree in environmental studies at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. Sara has an extensive past with environmental education and conservation activities, including working with the Pacific Whale Foundation in Maui, Hawaii with Spinner dolphins and the Department of Interior at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Hawksbill Turtle Monitoring Program. Sara has worked with KEEP since January, 2005.