Don Burgess, PhD

Professor, Secondary | Science Education

About

Don Burgess is a faculty member in Science Education and the Department of Secondary Education. His research interests include biophilia, "green" design, teachers’ views of the nature of science and children’s perceptions of the nature. Previously Don taught middle and high school science in rural upstate New York. He also taught and later directed the National Audubon Ecology workshops for teachers on Hog Island, Maine for twelve years. Offering a naturalist’s sensibilities, Don helped establish the Sleeping Lady Retreat in Leavenworth, Washington. He was director of the North Cascade Environmental Learning Center for eight years and partnered with the College of the Environment to develop a graduate program in Non-profit Administration and Leadership. Don has performed extensive fieldwork throughout the northwest and Wrangell-St Elias in SE Alaska including surveys of threatened, endangered or sensitive plants and birds. Don has a passion for birds and an inordinate fondness for chickadees.

Educational & Professional Experience

PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION

Western State College, Gunnison, CO  Biology- Cum laude B.A., 1983

State University of New York, Cortland Education - Biology M.S., 1986

University British Columbia, Canada Science Education Ph.D., 2009

RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES

Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 2003-Present

Professor SMATE/Woodring College of Education, 2018 - Present

Associate Professor, SMATE/Woodring College of Education, 2013 - 2018

Assistant Professor, SMATE/Woodring College of Education, 2008 - 2013

Science Education Lecturer, SMATE, 2003 – 2008

Washington Continuing Teacher Certificate, 4-12 Science and Biology  1993-2025

New York Permanent Teacher Certification 5-12 Biology and Science 1984-present

North Cascades Institute, Sedro-Woolly, WA  1997-2004

Director Environmental Learning Center, Graduate Program Lead, 

Sleeping Lady Conference Retreat, Leavenworth, WA  1995-1997

Naturalist/Conference Coordinator for Mountain Retreat and Music Center 

National Audubon Society, NY  1993-1995

Director Adult Ecology Program in Maine at Hog Island, 1993-1995

Ecology and Ornithology Instructor 1989-1993

Trumansburg School District, NY 1985-1990

Science Teacher (Tenured)

Research Interests

  • 2025 Co-PI National Science Foundation Grant, Racial Equity in STEM Education: It starts with teacher preparation
  • 2024 Co-PI National Science Foundation Grant, Let Engineers Teach Engineering
  • 2017 Whatcom Community Foundation: Creating an Environmental Education Coalition
  • 2016 Russell Family Foundation: SEA Discovery Center: Developing a Middle School Experiential Environmental Education Program