Debra Sondak Email & Phone Number

Truckee, Ca, United States

• Worked closely with the management team and participating teachers to plan and execute 1-5 day environmental science research programs for middle and high school students• Empowered students to discover their potential for critical thinking and inquiry-based learning in an outdoor setting, while facilitating environmentally-minded inquiry• Managed and participated with a team of instructors to facilitate field-day experiences based around students asking scientific questions then developing and implementing their own research project to attempt to answer their inquiry• Assisted in annual fundraising efforts, and anything else that required assistance• Headwaters classes meet Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and teachers gain professional development experience

Sacramento, California

• Collaborated with state subject matter experts at California Department of Tax and Fee Association (CDTFA) to gather requirements about their business processes and practices in order to develop them for the new, GENTAX solution• Worked on all phases of the project from requirements gathering, development, testing, conversion and production support.• Configured the commercial off the shelf solution, GENTAX, to meet the gathered requirements for e-Services and Compliance modules• Presented completed modules to senior CDTFA staff for constructive feedback, integrated the feedback and re-presented improved modules to ensure taxpayers would be able to understand how to complete their returns using e-Services• Developed multiple reports and data queries using SQL Server• Completed 241 development tasks, 527 testing scenarios and 368 code migrations• Wrote site-specific solutions in VB.net• Assisted training coordinators with end-to-end system testing, both by assisting state testers with completing their tasks and by fixing system errors in a timely manner• Participated in outside-of-the-office volunteer opportunities with the Special Olympics, and Christmastime adopt-a-family

Sacramento, California Area

• Implemented a train-the-trainer model teaching CDTFA state workers chosen to be trainers how to use the GENTAX solution so they could then train their peers (~5,000 end users)• Inspired and empowered state trainers during a 2 week train-the-trainer training in Los Angeles • Led weekly meetings to mentor state trainers through writing their personalized training materials (~100 page documents)• Edited documents according to the agreed upon style sheet (essentially tech writing)• Composed, edited, and uploaded help documents to the help module according to GENTAX language and style guide

Austin, Tx

• Privately tutored students in Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Chemistry, and Biology• Guided students’ writing process from brainstorming to final editing (middle, high, and collegiate levels)• Broke down complex mathematics and science concepts in easy to understand language• Analyzed student comprehension and tailored responses to their individual learning levels and style• Provided students with coping mechanisms for test anxiety to help them work through their nervous energy rather than combat it

Austin, Tx

• Innovated and implemented exploratory chemistry curriculum for Level Two students• Led Level One workshop based upon The Big Orange Splot where students followed the advice within the story and virtually built the house of their dreams• Met with students one-on-one to refine and develop their core skills in math, reading, handwriting, typing, and research• Empathetically served as the go-to guide for students’ emotional ailments, offering listening ears and a shoulder to cry on• Collaboratively created a culture of high expectations where mistakes and missteps were corrected rather than admonished

Austin, Texas Area

• Classes: Advisory, 7th Life Science, 6th Earth Science, 5th Introductory Robotics, and 6th Recreational Robotics• Designed curriculum for Life Science and Earth Science classes based on textbook provided and life experience• Designed a 90% project-based curriculum for 5th and 6th grade Robotics classes• Differentiated teaching in order to reach every child, including special needs students and gifted/talented students, offering a variety of assignments, assessments, and classroom experiences• Enthusiastically integrated educational technology into my classroom, actively utilizing Google Classroom, digital formative assessments like Socrative & Kahoot, and proactively seek out new EdTech to enhance my lessons• Created a dynamic classroom experience incorporating project-based learning, discussion, lecture, group, & individual work• Employed social-emotional learning principles not only into every advisory session, but also into every classroom lesson• Adapted high school level 20% Project to meet the needs of the middle school student; monthly themes include Sharktober, Moonvember, Febrrruary, Feb-bird-ary, and less punny ones like The Human Body, Design an Alien based on its home planet• Improved class discipline by getting to know my students and capitalizing on their strengths • Integrated myself into the school community by attending student sporting events, volunteering to chaperone when not assigned, getting to know students’ likes/dislikes outside of the classroom, and fostering positive teacher-parent relations• Recognized for innovation in faculty newsletter by Director of Innovative Learning 4x and in the all-school Messenger 2x• Professional Development: Developmental Designs 1 (24 hr SEL Training), ISAS 2015 Beginning Teacher Institute (13 hr), Eduscape Learning Austin Google Summit (5 hr) and Crash Course Featuring Google for Education (6 hr), Central Texas FLL EV3 Mindstorms Coach Training (3 hr), FLL Coaches’ Kickoff 2015-2016 (6 hr)

Amherst, Ma

• (Spring 2015) Co-taught Chemical Principles (Chemistry 161) to 102 students by attending lectures, leading two discussion sections, teaching three laboratory sections, holding office hours, and grading; managed six laboratory teaching assistants• (Fall 2014) Co-taught Fundamental Chemical Principles (Chemistry 155) to 35 students by attending lectures, leading all discussion sections, teaching laboratory, holding office hours, and grading; managed two laboratory teaching assistants• (Spring 2014) Co-taught Chemical Principles (Chemistry 161) to 119 students by attending lectures, leading discussion section, teaching three laboratory sections, holding office hours, and grading; managed six laboratory teaching assistants• Proactively engaged with chemistry majors regardless of class (my students were mainly freshmen)• Innovated and led a senior chemistry major field trip to Hermit Thrush Brewery in Brattleboro, VT, where students and faculty learned about the chemistry of brewing beer• Identified students requiring extra attention and worked with them one-on-one to improve their chemical comprehension• Incorporated constructive criticism from past students into future pedagogical techniques• Varied my teaching style to include visual, tactile, aural, and kinesthetic approaches to ensure that each learning style was represented in my presentations to the class• Fostered relationships with students both inside and outside of the classroom, providing them with a confidential source of advice and someone to vent to when they were frustrated and/or stressed out• Each semester, participated in TYPO (Take Your Professor Out), a program Amherst College has where students can invite an instructor out for dinner on the college’s dime• Received recommendation requests from students and teaching assistants, and was able to thoughtfully reply to all requests

Teaching AssistantTaught three semesters of Physical Chemistry Lab and two semesters of Analytical Chemistry Lab to an average of forty-five students per class; Simultaneously managed three different experiments each class to ensure both students’ and instruments’ safety; Consistently received positive feedback from students and faculty, as well as recommendation requests from students; Met one-on-one with students who struggled most with the course to facilitate complete learning comprehensionResearch AssistantMastered the Time of Flight technique to study charge carrier mobility (the ability for charged particles to move within a given material) of organic systems for potential application in energy devices (photovoltaic, LED, FET, battery, memory storage); Read abstruse scientific articles with careful comprehension to unearth crucial facts for understanding the physics and theoretical mathematical models of charge carrier mobility; Collaborated with polymer scientists, physicists, and chemists under tight deadlines to expand my knowledge and find commonalities to problem solve experimental and molecular design; Synthesized, physically characterized, and tested novel paramagnetic compounds; Proactively attended seminars and meetings to forge collaborations and expand my knowledge of current research

Amherst, Ma

Led and inspired twenty-four students in the subject of Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy; Worked closely with the professor to mentor and guide students both inside and outside the classroom; Invited to a TYPO (Take Your Professor Out – see above for explanation) by students in the class

Built analysis of key metrics against targets into monthly reports, providing performance visibility to senior leadership team; Initiated routine and non-routine journal entries with a complete understanding of accounting concepts; Gathered requirements from client teams in order to produce custom analysis and reports, for both internal and client presentations; Optimized billing schedule and process through interactive sessions with finance coordinator

Leveraged market analysis and financial modeling to create new business insights for senior underwriters; Conducted due diligence to underwrite loans with thorough credit analysis of both borrowers and tenants; Created a field playbook with the Senior Credit Officer and Managing Director that contained data and analysis of 76 major markets and five property types; Top three deals: HCP Trance III, $22.5M fixed-rate medical office building; Markets at Epps Bridge, $18.5M fixed-rate shopping center; Shops at Brannon Crossing, $16M fixed-rate shopping center in the lease-up stage

Developed annual budget of $460,000 with monthly revenue goals based upon company performance in 2006; Designed a subscription renewal process, resulting in a 90% renewal rate, for the monthly Callahan Report; Created and implemented marketing campaigns utilizing both digital and direct mediums for five publications; Published six articles on CreditUnions.com (~50,000 monthly visitors), in CUSP (distribution of 4,000), and The Credit Union Technology Survey (distribution of 1,000); articles are reprinted in four non-Callahan industry publications; Produced four webinars – researched best practices and interviewed credit union executives to cover topics such as: Measuring member loyalty (20 attendees); Using affinity credit / debit cards as a tool for revenue and member growth (25 attendees); Mortgage-backed-securities as an investment opportunity (30 attendees); and Recruiting, reaching, and retaining young members (50 attendees); Member of Toastmasters International, an organization that met weekly to teach public speaking and presentation skills

Learned SAS in order to collaborate with a statistician to compile and analyze data resulting in a comprehensive report on the ideal performance of spina bifida clinics; Worked concurrently on three different projects at once concerning the quality improvement of healthcare including the optimization of spina bifida clinics, modeling healthcare administration after high reliability organizations, and addressing the disparities in diabetes care for Latinos

Ba, Natural Sciences (Conc. Chemistry) / Film & Media Studies

Graduated with Honors Dean's List – Spring 2005, Fall 2005, Spring 2006

Master Of Science (Ms), Chemistry

Awarded First-Year Departmental Scholarship Funded by EFRC Member of The American Chemical Society Member of The Connecticut Valley.