Ann Cavallo, Ph.D., is Assistant Vice Provost and Director of the Center for Research on Teaching and Learning Excellence, Co-director of UTeach Arlington, and Distinguished University Professor of Science Education at The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). She holds secondary teacher certification in Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, and General Science, and taught middle and high school science before earning her graduate degrees. At the university level, she has developed programs and instructed courses on campus and online in science teaching methods, educational psychology, research methodology, biology, and earth science.
Dr. Cavallo has been Principal Investigator of two National Science Foundation Robert Noyce grants totaling over $2 million. Her research investigates high school and college students' learning approaches and strategies, scientific reasoning, self-efficacy, and their acquisition of conceptual understandings of science, particularly through inquiry-based teaching models. She also studies teacher learning, induction, and retention in the profession. In 2015, Dr. Cavallo received the Distinguished Record of Research Award from UTA, and in 2016 was inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Scholars. Dr. Cavallo has more than 40 publications in internationally and nationally refereed journals and proceedings, as well as several books and book chapters. In all, she has secured more than $12 million in grants and gifts from various funding agencies to support her work. She serves on the Advisory Board for the National Science Foundation and the American Association for the Advancement of Science for STEM Teacher Preparation. She has made over 70 presentations at professional conferences, and has held significant leadership positions in professional education organizations. Dr. Cavallo earned her B.S. from Niagara University, and her M.S. in Science Education/Biology, M.S. in General Science, and Ph.D. in Science Education from Syracuse University.