Elaine Gwinn - Chair of the Section Representativeselaine_Gwinn_VC_sec_rep_2014

Elaine Gwinn has a passion for teaching, which was initially sparked by her first physics class in college. After her children were in school, she headed back to college to earn a BS degree in Chemistry at West Texas State University (now West Texas A&M University) in 1992, and obtained her Masters of Science Degree in Physics Education in 2008 from Ball State University.

Elaine is certified to teach all sciences grades 6-12, a necessity for many science teachers in rural areas in Texas.  Under her leadership, a strong physics program was established at Canyon High School, her first teaching position, which included Physics I, Pre-AP Physics, and AP B Physics.  In 2004, she moved to Indiana to be closer to their children. 

During the past ten years Elaine has taught in a variety of challenging situations and now serves as the dual-credit Physics, dual-credit Chemistry, Chemistry I, and Integrated Chemistry & Physics teacher at Shenandoah High School, a small rural school in east central Indiana.

Elaine has participated in professional development opportunities, which enhanced her classroom expertise.  Programs that were influential in her career include: Comprehensive Comprehensive Curriculum for Physics, Rural PTRA, PhysTEC, ATE workshops, and participation in section meetings in both Indiana and Texas.

She currently works as a PhysTEC  Visiting Master Teacher at Ball State University and is an adjunct physics instructor for Ivy Tech Community College.  Elaine is the Indiana Section Representative.