Margaret Ronald

304 NE 4th Street

Madison, SD 57042

Sue Thibodeau
360 Aubert Hall
Orono, Maine 04469

Dear Madam:

I am extremely interested in the half-time position of Associate Director of the Aquaculture Research
Institute at the University of Maine. My formal and informal academic training in marine science and
aquaculture ensure that the principal tasks of this position are something that I could readily handle. I
have experience putting together annual reports, working with research scientists and professors, and
handling publications and budgets. Writing, presentation, and research skills are my fortes. In addition,
I work well with others and adapt easily to new environments. The opportunity to contribute to an
undergraduate introductory level course in aquaculture and pursue a research agenda is something I
look forward to.

As a social scientist with direct experience working with marine and freshwater environments, I would
be a unique asset for the Aquaculture Research Institute. My appreciation and respect for the ocean
started at an early age. As a child I was fortunate to experience many different aquatic ecosystems
living in Hawaii, California, and North Carolina. As an adult, I expanded upon this experience in South
Florida, Maine, and Brazil. With this interaction came the fascination with the intersection of man and
the sea. This motivated me to study cultural anthropology as an undergraduate and to look at how
communities learn in times of rapid environmental change as a graduate student.

While a glance at my resume would speak to my extensive work in the field of education, a closer look
would reveal something else. From Lake Worth to Key West, before the days of 200-mile limits, I
commercial fished aboard a 28-foot, traditional Cuban vessel. Working with an unlimited master, I
studied for and acquired my captain’s license. Aboard the same boat, we conducted fisheries studies
for the governments of Haiti and Turks Caicos. Subsequently, I ran a smokehouse, smoking tuna, blue
marlin, white marlin, mullet, etc., in South Florida. Weekends, I longlined for swordfish. It was at this
point that I began to be concerned about the future of fisheries. Two issues focused this concern: the
continually diminishing size of swordfish being caught, and the increasing levels of turbidity in the
river (Oleta) along which the smokehouse was located. I began to read and research. I then began a
grassroots group to protect the Oleta River. Today, thanks to the continued efforts of this group, the
Oleta is part of a state park which protects the integrity of the upper section of Biscayne Bay. This
volunteer effort led to work with the Dade County Environmental Resource Management group. I
worked on a Miami River water quality project and then was contracted out to U.S. Geological Survey
to work on a water quality effort in the Everglades. Eventually I left the position to begin a Masters in
environmental journalism at Ohio State and was fortunate enough to be offered a position with Ohio
Sea Grant. This position as communicator involved the publication of several newsletters, editing of
several books (Fishes of Ohio, A Lake Erie Cookbook), and the regular writing/editing of fact sheets
for public consumption. In addition, I helped organize the annual grant proposal/research sharing event
with National Sea Grant and put together our annual report. Upon graduation, I moved to Maine where
I worked as a freelance editor with National Fisherman, Maine Audubon, and Fish Boat magazines
and the International Marine publishing house. Later I would begin work as an editor with the Courier
Gazette in Rockland. During my second year with the newspaper I received the Maine Environmental
Writer award of the year for a series I wrote on fresh water resources. A move to Florida provided the
opportunity to become involved in teaching. Several years later I made my way to Florida State
University where I taught in a laboratory school and began my doctoral studies. I opted for an
interdisciplinary program in the education department where I could focus on environmental
sustainability. Almost immediately I began research along the Gulf Coast in a fishing community
under stress; net fishing had been all but outlawed and the oyster flats were closed to harvesting
because of upstream nutrient loading. As a group of innovative social entrepreneurs, we turned the
dying community around through aquaculture. Today it is one of the foremost producers of farmed
clams in the country. Research and work with this community led to further work with freshwater
springs throughout North Florida and a volunteer position advising county officials in North Florida
about water issues. While looking for a college position where I could pursue research with education
for sustainability, I continued to work in the field of education.

The position I now enjoy in South Dakota enables me to approach environmental sustainability
issues from a multidisciplinary perspective, but my research on cetaceous species with a colleague in
the Azores and my continued focus on water resources is not seen as particularly relevant. The position
with The Aquaculture Research Institute would foster my research interests and allow me re-immerse
myself in the field that I love. The duties of an Associate Director are those that I would not only be
good at, but would enjoy. Additionally, the possibility of pursuing a research program in an
aquaculture related field would be a welcome opportunity. In cooperation with other departments and
faculty at the University of Maine, and in collaboration with those engaged in Maine’s aquaculture
industry, I am confident of being able to put together products that would enhance the long-term
success of Maine’s aquaculturalists. I look forward to hearing from you regarding this opportunity.

Sincerely,

Margaret Ronald
Margaret Ronald, Ph.D.
304 NE 4th Street
Madison, South Dakota 57042
mronaldusa@yahoo.com
mlronald@dsu.edu
605-270-3011
605-256-5824

EDUCATION

2003 Ph.D., Foundations of Education – International/Intercultural Development

Education, Florida State University. Emphases: culture, environment and sustainable
development; participatory development; local and indigenous knowledge.

1982 M.A. Journalism. -- Ohio State University. Emphases: environmental studies.

1973 B.A. Anthropology and Spanish -- Universidad de las Americas (Puebla, Mexico).
Emphases: cultural anthropology, culture change.

LANGUAGES

English, Spanish, Portuguese: fluent.

SOME RESEARCH INTERESTS

1) Aquaculture in increasingly crowded coastal zones will not see the kind of long-
term success warranted by requisite capital investments without education aimed
at environmental stewardship. Educational programs, developed with a focus on
marine spatial planning, need to be put together for a variety of levels and a
variety of audiences.

2) Integrating local knowledge with aquaculture science to enhance aquaculture

policy development: Engaging Mainers in the conversation.

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
2008 Assistant Professor, College of Education, Dakota State University, Madison, SD.
Teach, Social Science Overview, South Dakota Indian Studies, Human Geography
Foundations of American Education.

2006 Associate Professor, Chair, Graduate Education, Lyndon State College,

Lyndonville, VT. Spring 2007 – Literature for Children and Advanced Learning Theory
(Education, Culture, and Ecology). Fall 2007 –Foundations and Issues of Education,
Research Methods. Spring 2008 – Literature for Children (Teaching Social Sciences
through Literature), Education, Culture, and Ecology, Remedial Reading and Writing.

1999-2001 Bilingual Resource Teacher Trainer, Leon County Schools, Tallahassee, FL.
Developed curricula in multi/cross cultural areas, applied linguistics and worked with
administrators of county elementary, middle and high schools to implement state and
federal policy regarding second-language learners. Trained teachers and administrators to
more effectively work with those learning English as a second language.

1995-2001 Teaching Assistant, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL. Taught

Introduction to Education (education foundations course- social theory) for five
semesters and Education in America (an upper level education foundations and policy
course) for three semesters.

1993-1999 Instructor, Florida State Developmental Research School, Tallahassee,

FL. Taught 8-12th grade students Spanish I through Spanish AP, Latin American history,
and anthropology. Conducted action research and disseminated best teaching practices
throughout the state. Foreign Language Department Chair.

1998-2001 Consultant and Trainer, bilingual, multicultural, and ESL teacher training for
Florida Teachers. Worked with a number of Florida district schools systems to develop
ESOL/ESL programs and trained teachers and administrators to work more effectively
with students, parents, and communities regarding second language acquisition. Taught
applied linguistics, cross-cultural understanding, multicultural teaching frameworks,
using literature to increase multicultural understanding.

1991-1993 Adjunct Professor, Lake City Community College. Public speaking, business
writing, technical writing.

1991-1993 Instructor, Union County High School in Lake Butler, FL. Taught Spanish I,
II, III, and IV to 9th through 12th graders and journalism I and II to 9th through 12th
graders. Sponsored the school newspaper and Spanish club.

1990 Instructor, St. Edward’s School in Vero Beach, FL. Developed curricula and taught
Spanish to K through 6th graders during the day. Taught classes of Spanish I and II to
adults in evening sessions.
1988-1991 Adjunct Professor, Indian River Community College, Okeechobee, FL.
Taught community college classes in public speaking and business writing.

1987-1988 Instructor, Okeechobee High School, Okeechobee, FL. Taught Spanish I, II,
III, and IV and English for non-English speakers, 9th through 12th grade.

1971 Instructor, British School, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Taught 2A (2nd to 3rd grade
students).

1971 Professor, Instituto Getulio Vargas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Taught introduction to
anthropology, Mesoamerican archaeology, colonial Latin American history.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2001-2006 School Improvement Facilitator, Florida School Improvement Policy Center,

Tallahassee, FL. Work with state level practitioners and policy makers, district
administrators, teachers, parents, and other community members to improve student
achievement and develop best practices. Deliver presentations and training in program
development, data analysis, and effective practices. Conduct observations and interviews
to identify needs and provide research-based information regarding private, state, and
federal education initiatives and necessary services. Develop training modules for
administrators and teachers directed at enhancing academic achievement of students,
capacity of staff, and expertise of principals and district administrators. Evaluate and
develop existing programs to increase capacity.

2001 Program Evaluator, Anti-Tobacco Minority Projects of Florida, Miami, FL.

Conducted interviews, observations, and analysis of four anti-tobacco programs aimed at
young Haitian and Hispanic immigrants in South Florida. In collaboration with a partner,
wrote and edited final reports for the State Bureau of Health.

1985-1987 Assistant Editor, Courier Gazette, Rockland, ME. Along with another editor
was responsible for the publication of this mid-coast Maine newspaper three times
weekly. Assigned articles, wrote feature and hard news stories, edited copy, developed
layout, and composed headlines.

1982-1986 Freelance environmental writer and editor, West Rockport, ME. Edited books
and articles for National Fishermen and International Marine, now McGraw-Hill
International Marine. Wrote feature stories for the following magazines: National
Fisherman, Down East, Fish Boat, Maine Audubon, and Columbus Magazine. Also wrote
articles and conducted research for publications of Maine Sea Grant. Wrote two
children's books and several ghost stories.
1980-1982 Communicator, Ohio Sea Grant, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
Managed all publications for Ohio Sea Grant and the Center for Lake Erie Area
Research. Issued press releases. Published three newsletters. Wrote and edited fact sheets
and several books: Fishes of Ohio, A Lake Erie Cookbook, etc. Worked with more than
40 professors to develop and manage grants, disseminate findings, and edit publications.
Developed slide shows and helped organize and host Sea Grant events statewide.
Managed three people and worked closely with four cooperative extension agents along
Lake Erie.

1975-1978 Commercial Fisherman. Licensed/fished from Lake Worth, FL to Keys prior

to the 200-mile limit. Deep water snapper, tile fish in 400-900 foot of water. Long lining
for a variety of species.

1978-1980 Pollution Control Inspector, Department of Environmental Resources, Dade

County, FL. Worked in North Miami Beach, downtown Miami along the Miami River,
and in the Everglades on loan to U.S. Geological Survey. Monitored water and air
quality, conducted land gradient surveys, wrote reports and took photographs to provide
baseline data. Some of the work entailed the collection of evidence as part of general law
enforcement.

1974-1975 Sales Representative, AVCO New Idea, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Marketed corn
combines, manure spreaders, and other agricultural equipment in the Triangulo Mineiro
of Brazil. Translated documents, handled import/export issues, and worked to establish a
joint venture between FIAT and AVCO New Idea in Belo Horizonte for the production of
corn combines and manure spreaders in Brazil.

1970 Assistant Editor, World Bank Port of Santos Project, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Edited,
managed typing pool, and did some translation work on reports going from Brazil to the
World Bank to provide funding for expansion of the Port of Santos.

SERVICE

2010 – DSU Faculty Awards Committee

2009-present – DSU Parking Committee, DSU Diversity Committee

2007 – Named to serve a three-year term on the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book
Award Committee

2007 – Chair – Graduate Council, Lyndon State College

2007 – Lyndon State Faculty representative serving on Danville School

Sustainability/Technology Center Committee.
2007 – Member - Sustainability Committee and Chair – Graduate Council, Lyndon State
College.

2007 – Co-chair K-12 U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainability.

2005-2007 – Citizen’s Water Advisory Committee, Tallahassee, Florida.

2004 & 2005 – Participation in the Bias and Community Sensitivity Review of the
Proposed Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) reading passages as well as
writing test items and prompts.

1998 – Assisted at the Participatory Research and Gender Analysis in Agriculture

conference held by CIAT (Centro de Agricultura Tropical) in Quito, Ecuador.

1997 – Elected to chair a Florida state committee for innovative teaching in team settings.

1997 – Helped develop interdisciplinary curriculum to teach Spanish, art, and social
studies at Florida State University Developmental Research School, Tallahassee, FL.

1995-1996 – Translation/interpretation various departments at Florida State University,

Tallahassee, FL.

1995 – Elected to the board of the Florida Foreign Language Association. Two years
service.

1978-1980 – Worked with Miami Sierra Club to protect and preserve the south section of
Biscayne Bay. Today it is a national preserve area for Florida lobster, stone crabs and
other marine species.

1976-1980 – Developed community-based organization fundraising and speaking to keep

the Oleta River from being dammed. Today it remains the only undammed river in
Miami-Dade County and part of a larger park system.

PUBLICATIONS, CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

Ronald, Margaret. The World Looks Different Now. A children’s book focusing on one
town’s jump from fishing and wild harvest to aquaculture. Draft sent out for publication.

Ronald, Margaret. Reimagining Teacher Education: Enhancing Local Knowledge and

Sense of Place. Annual Conference of Comparative International Education Society.
Chicago, IL. (March 1-5, 2010). Upcoming.
Ronald, Margaret. Partnerships for Education for Sustainability. 6th World Environmental
Education Conference. Vancouver, BC. (May 17-21, 2010) Upcoming.

Ronald, Margaret. Electronic Technologies: Exploring the Impacts on Teachers’ Sense of

Place. Poster Session – Pierre, SD. Faculty Research Initiative Grant.

Neilson, Alison and Margaret Ronald. International perspectives about the sea and sea
life: Cetaceans and whale watching. 5th World Environmental Education Conference,
Montreal, Quebec. (May 10-14, 2009).

Ronald, Margaret. Learning under Conditions of Rapid Environmental Change.

Schumacher College, Devon, England. (2008-February-March).

Ronald, Margaret and Robert Farrell. Formal Education in Light of Increased

Globalization: Contemporary Schooling and the Possibility of Sustainable Futures. (2007,
March) Presentation at the Annual Conference of Comparative International Education
Society. Honolulu, Hawaii.

Monkman, Karen, Margaret Ronald, and Florence Delimon. (2005). Social, Cultural, and
Linguistic Capital in an Urban Latino School Community. Urban Education. Vol. 40, No
4.

Ronald, Margaret and Robert Farrell. Education for Sustainable Development. (2005,
March). Presentation at the Annual Conference of Comparative International Education
Society. Stanford, California.

Ronald, Margaret. (2004, November). Working towards Sustainability: From Wild

Harvest to Aquaculture. Annual Conference of North American Environmental Education
Association. Biloxi, Mississippi.

Ronald, Margaret. (2004, June). Indigenous and Neotraditional Knowledge and Their
Role in Creating and Maintaining Ecological Sustainability. UNESCO Encyclopedia on
Environmental Sustainability. (Robert Farrell, ed.). Paris, France.

Ronald, Margaret. (2002, March). Development as Freedom? Paper presented at the

annual conference of Comparative International Education Society. Salt Lake City, Utah.

Ronald, Margaret. (2002, February). Springing into Action: Downstream Concerns over
Water Quality and Quantity. Paper presented at the Florida Springs Conference.
Gainesville, FL: Department of Environmental Protection.

Ronald, Margaret. (2001, March). Struggling for Sustainability: An Incipient

Environmental Social Movement in West Coast, FL. Paper presented at the annual
conference on Social Movements. Toronto, Canada: Ontario Institute of Social
Education.
Ronald, Margaret. (2001, March). Struggling for Sustainability: A Study of Informal
Learning among Women Clam Farmers in Florida. Presented at the annual conference of
Comparative International Education Society. Washington, D.C.

Monkman, Karen, Margaret Ronald, and Florence Delimon. Social, Cultural, and
Linguistic Capital in an Urban Latino School Community. Paper presentation at the
annual American Education Research Association (AERA), Seattle, WA, April 10-14,
2001. Revised version accepted in 2003 for publication in 2005, in Urban Education.

Easton, Peter and Margaret Ronald. (2000). Seeds of Sustainability. UNESCO/World

Bank Knowledge Series.

Ronald, Margaret. (2000). Discovering mentoring relationships: A secondary teacher's

reflections. In (Eds.). Mullen C.A. and D. W. Lick. New directions for mentoring:
Creating a culture of synergy. London: England/Bristol, PA: Falmer Press.

Ronald, Margaret. (2000, April). Women Clam Farmers working toward Sustainability.
Presentation at the annual meeting of the Comparative and International Education
Society in San Antonio, TX.

Ronald, Margaret. (1999, April). Conscientization of Globalization among North Florida

Women Educators. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Comparative and
International Education Society in Toronto, Canada.

Ronald, Margaret. (1998, March). Can Knowledge be Owned? Policy Study of a

Paradigm Clash between Moderns and Traditionals. Paper presented at the annual
meeting of the Comparative and International Education Society in Buffalo, NY.

Ronald, Margaret. (1997, March). Two Rivers Run into the Sea: A Comparative Study of
Environmental Education Programs in Curitiba, Brazil and Apalachicola, FL. Paper
presented at the annual meeting of the Comparative and International Education Society
in Mexico, D.F.

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Rural Sociology, North American Environmental Education Association, Phi Delta

Kappa, Comparative International Education Society,

PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS AND CERTIFICATES

2008 Scholarship (bursary) attended Roots of Learning: Education as a Springboard for

Transformation. Schumacher College, Devon, England.

2006 McRel School Improvement Training, Denver, CO.

2005 School Improvement Overview Training certificate, AEL, Nashville, TN

2000 ESOL endorsement on teaching certificate State of Florida

1987 6-12 teaching certificate, Spanish, journalism State of Florida

GRANTS

2009 – Faculty Research Initiative Grant - Understanding and Fostering Sense of Place
and Local Knowledge within the Context of Modern Society.

2007 – Reading First Grant for Lyndon State College, $2,000.

2006 – Co-authored grant for $120,000 for Center for Educational Policy Research,
Florida State University -- awarded from Bureau of School Improvement, Florida
Department of Education, Tallahassee, FL.

1994-1995 – Co-authored three successful grants (Apple, Annenburg, State of Florida) at

Florida State University Development Research School, Tallahassee, FL.
List of References – Margaret Ronald

Dr. Karen Monkman

Associate Professor of Education
DePaul University
1 E. Jackson
Chicago, Illinois 60604
773/325-4351
kmonkman@depaul.edu.

Dr. Vandra Masemann

226 Evelyn Ave.,
Toronto, Ontario.
Canada M6P 2Z9
Tel (416) 767-1810
masemann@interlog.com

Alison Neilson, PhD

Postdoc Investigador
Sustentabilidade Ambiental nos Açores
Dep Ciencias Agrarias
Universidade dos Açores
9701-851 Angro Do Heroísmo
aneilson@uac.pt

Dr. Mickie Kriedler

Director of Sponsored Programs, Graduate Office
Dakota State University
820 N. Washington Avenue
Madison, SD 57042
(605) 256-5100
Mickie.Kriedler@dsu.edu