Dr. Baust is the director for the center and also a faculty member of the
Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education in the College of
Education. He has served on the Board of the North American Association for
Environmental Education since 1998 and was president of the organization in 2005.
Dr. Baust has also served as the chair of the Higher Education Commission, chair of the Awards Committee, and co-chair of the NAAEE Committee on Accreditation with the National Council for the Accreditation for Teacher Education (NCATE). He is a board member and the past-president of the Kentucky Association for Environmental Education. As the chairperson of the Four River’s Watershed Watch, he has directed the sampling of rivers, streams, and lakes in Western Kentucky with more than 60 sample sites to test water quality in the region. He is also a member of the University subcommittee of the Kentucky Environmental Education Council’s Master Plan for Environmental Education and has taught mathematics, science, language arts, social studies, and art throughout his career.
Dr. Baust has been recognized university-wide for outstanding teaching on three occasions receiving the Regents Award, NEA-SP Award, and Student Government Association’s Max Carmen Outstanding Teaching Award. He has been the co-editor of the “Kentucky Council of Teachers of Mathematics Journal” with Dr. Willis N. Johnson and has made numerous national and international presentations that have dealt with the integration of science and mathematics using environmental education. He is a certified facilitator for Projects WILD, WILD Aquatic, WET, Learning Tree, Food Land and People, Archaeology, Adventure Experiences Challenge Course, and the Leopold Project. Recently he earned the Certified Interpretative Guide Credential, and has completed his credential as a Certified Interpretive Trainer from the National Association for Interpretation.
Mr. Brush is the Assistant Director in the Center for Environmental Education. He joined the Center in 2007 after teaching eighth grade science at Graves County Middle School. As Assistant Director, he facilitates graduate and undergraduate workshops in environmental education, conducts and models environmental education lessons in area public schools and participates in certification training for the collection of environmental education curricula.
Brian holds a degree in Broadcast Meteorology from Mississippi State University where he was an avid storm chaser and participant in many successful trips to the Great Plains. Mr Brush also holds a Bachelor's of Science in Secondary Education with geosciences concentration obtained from Murray State University. Mr. Brush has also been certified in Project WILD, Project WET, Food, Land & People, and Project Learning Tree, he has also become a trained facilitator in Project WILD and Project WET.
As a teacher, Brian implemented the pedagogy, theories and activities of environmental education in his daily lessons. Mr. Brush currently enjoys combining all of his past experiences with the public school system, the Center for Environmental Education and environmental educators internationally to provide area teachers and colleagues with innovative teaching methods that will support greater student learning and understanding of their surrounding environment.
When he is not at work, Brian enjoys spending time with his wife Jennifer and 2-year-old son, Jeremy. Environmental Science and meteorology is a family affair for Brian and his wife Jennifer Rukavina who is the Chief Meteorologist at WPSD Local 6 in Paducah.
Ms. Lauren Carson is the resident librarian at the Center for Environmental Education. She is in charge of ordering different materials and entering them into the online checkout system. These materials are available for education students and teachers alike to use in their classroom or assignments.
This semester Lauren is a Junior at Murray State University majoring in Social Work, and this summer Lauren will be participating in a study abroad program in Costa Rica.
Ms. Heidi Clutter is a junior at Murray State University working on her degree in History Education. She graduated from Christopher High School in southern Illinois, and was pulled to Murray State because of the cheerleading program and cheered for the university for two years. She is very excited to be working with the Center for Environmental Education, and is ready to meet lots and lots of new people.
Ms. Molly Jean Runyon is a junior Wildlife Biology major, and has been working with the Center for Environmental Education for quite some time now as a student recycling coordinator. Molly is extremely involved in Christ Ambassadors, the Honors Program, the Wildlife and Conservation Society, and serves as the President for the Murray Environmental Student Society. To say she is busy would be quite an understatement. Molly is excited about all of her roles on the MSU campus and the opportunity to work with the Environmental Education Department.
Ms. Rogers is the Graduate Assistant in the Center for Environmental Education. While her main roles are Environmental Education Outreach Coordinator with area schools as well as organization and instruction of EDU 404 Pre-Service activities, she also facilitates undergraduate workshops in environmental education and participates in certification training for the collection of environmental education curricula.
Ms. Rogers holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Murray State University and is studying as a Post Bachelor’s Student in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Science at Murray State University. She is a trained facilitator for Project WET, Project Learning Tree, Project Wild, and Project Flying Wild.
Prior to working at the Center, Ms. Rogers was an Apprentice with the U.S. Forest Service at Land Between the Lakes’ Brandon Spring Group Center. Ms. Rogers also was employed at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom with the role of an Advanced Intern Education Presenter. In these capacities, she has been a non-formal educator for years.
Presently, Ms. Rogers enjoys combining the knowledge and skills she has gained from all of her past experiences to further the environmental education outreach with area schools as well as to organize and instruct EDU 404 Pre-Service activities.
Mr. Logan Smith
Mr. Logan Smith is a senior Elementary Education major here at MSU. Rock climbing is Logan's favorite past time, and he spends nearly every weekend enjoying the beautiful scenery and amazing sandstone of Southern Illinois. At The Center for Environmental Education, Logan has been able to help share his love of the outdoors with other Elementary Education majors through the ELE 404 Pre-Service weekends. Logan is also in charge of web site maintenance as he also serves as the current CEE Webmaster. After graduation Logan plans to pursue a Master's Degree and travel the world teaching English abroad.
