Academic Advisory Committee for Social Sciences
Committee Members
Martha B. Sharma (Chair)
Geography Educator (retired) and Freelance Geography Consultant, Hilton Head Island, South CarolinaMartha Sharma taught geography for more than 25 years at the Washington International School and the National Cathedral School, both in Washington, D.C., before retiring in 2004. Sharma was a member of the first AP Human Geography Development Committee and content advisor to the AP Human Geography page on AP Central. She is currently a College Board advisor to Human Geography and Past President (2005) of the National Council for Geographic Education. Sharma has written extensively, including two award-winning publications: Making Population Real: Lesson Plans and Classroom Activities for AP Human Geography (Population Reference Bureau, 2005) and Using Internet Primary Sources to Teach Critical Thinking Skills in Geography (Greenwood Press, 2000). She is also actively involved in professional development for teachers of AP Human Geography.
Back to TopRoland Lewin
Teacher, Dos Pueblos High School, Goleta, California; Adjunct Instructor, Santa Barbara City CollegeRoland Lewin has been teaching economics (and mathematics) since 1988, and AP Economics since 1997. He is an adjunct instructor at Santa Barbara City College, and has been an AP Reader since 2005. Additionally, Roland has served on the Board of Directors of the California Association of School Economics Teachers (CASET) since 2001, and has been a presenter at several of their conferences on economics education. Roland has an undergraduate and M.A. degree in economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara.
Back to TopMaureen McCarthy
Professor of Psychology, Kennesaw State UniversityMaureen McCarthy pursues scholarship in two primary areas, pedagogical techniques and assessment of student learning outcomes. She served as president of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology in 2008. McCarthy is also a member of the Society for the Psychology of Women and the American Psychological Association’s Division 5: Evaluation, Measurement, and Statistics. McCarthy previously served as the Executive Associate Director for the APA’s Office of Pre-College and Undergraduate Programs. McCarthy also serves as a member of the AP Psychology Test Development Committee and the Social Studies Academic Advisory Committee for the College Board. She has authored and co-authored numerous publications including an American Psychologist article, “Quality Benchmarks in Undergraduate Psychology Programs.”
Back to TopGwenda Rice
Professor of Education, Western Oregon UniversityGwenda Rice is a professor of Education at Western Oregon University where she serves as the Social Studies Specialist. Before completing her Ph.D. in geography at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, she taught geography and history at the high school level in the United Kingdom, Australia and Nigeria. She is a past president (2004) of the National Council for Geographic Education, is active in the Oregon Council for Social Studies and is the co-coordinator of the Oregon Geographic Alliance, a state-wide network designed to promote geographic education in K–12 classrooms. She has published in Social Education, Journal of Geography, Teaching Geography and The Geography Teacher as well as other journals.
Back to TopMarissa Sarabando
Teacher, Lamar Academy, McAllen, TexasMarissa M. Sarabando has been teaching psychology since 1989 and has pioneered the AP Psychology (1992) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Psychology (2001) programs for the McAllen Independent School District. Sarabando has worked with the AP Reading for Psychology since 1994 and has served as a Reader and Table Leader, and is currently an Alternate Question Leader for this examination. Along with reviewing psychology materials for AP Central and contributing to the AP Psychology Course Guide, Sarabando has shared her experience with teachers by presenting a variety of sessions at state, regional and national conferences on the teaching of psychology. Marissa was a steering committee member for the American Psychological Association's Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS) in 1991 and is a past-chair of this committee that promotes the teaching of the science of psychology.
Back to TopKaren Waples
AP U.S. and Comparative Government and Politics Teacher, Cherry Creek High School, Greenwood Village, ColoradoKaren Waples has taught since 1989 and is the social studies department coordinator at Cherry Creek High School. She has taught three AP classes: U.S. Government and Politics, Comparative Government, and U.S. History. Waples has graded AP Comparative Government, AP U.S. Government, and AP U.S. History exams. She writes book reviews for the AP Central website and was the project editor for the 2007 Special Focus Materials for AP Comparative Government. She is the author of The Upcoming Russian Elections: Is Democracy Dead?, available at AP Central. She has an undergraduate degree from the University of Denver and a law degree from the University of Colorado.
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