Ph.D. in Chemical Physics (1972), University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Special Program on Infrared Spectroscopy Techniques (1969), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA

BA in Chemistry with additional emphasis in American Intellectual History (1966), Clark University, Worcester, MA

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 1999: First recipient of the Alan B. Leviton Award for “Outstanding achievement in the science education of children and youth.” Ilan was cited for the creativity, artistry, playfulness, and scientific integrity of his work and his long-standing commitment to science education.

Three patents awarded and two pending for games and toys based on scientific phenomena. Two toys produced and sold successfully by Educational Insights, Inc under license in 1991. Starting in September 2004, PolePatterns™ magnetic toy is being produced and marketed under a licensing agreement with Dowling Magnets, Inc.

National Endowment for Science Technology and Arts (NESTA) Futurelab, UK, October, 2002 participant and team leader in invitational workshop entitled “Enabling Science Education Through Interactive Simulations And Immersive Spaces.” Presented original concept for a multi-player, role-playing computer game based on real science designed for pre-adolescent and adolescent children to use in after school programs.

World Bank Center for International Leadership seminar: “The Challenge of Leadership” February, 2002: Invited guest participant in a 3 day seminar for World Bank executives on ethical challenges inherent in economic, educational, and political leadership.

Japan Science & Technology Corporation Forum on Developing the Brain: Tbe Science of Learning and Education, Oiso, Japan, 2000, Delivered the keynote address: “Stimulating Children’s Learning, Thinking, and Creativity.”

Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM, 1991: Presented the annual J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Lecture, “Developing Better Strategies for Learning Science.”

National Science Foundation Grant, October, 1986: Principal investigator on research and development of innovative set of prototype hands-on chemistry exhibits created for the California Science Center (formerly the California Museum of Science & Industry), Los Angeles, CA

National Institutes of Science and Technology (NIST, formerly NBS) Director's Reserve Research Grants, 1976 and 1979 for development of innovative methods to study fluctuations in reactive gas concentrations in turbulent combustion flow and development of new non-linear laser Raman methods for sensitive molecular chemical analysis.

National Research Council & National Bureau of Standards Postdoctoral Fellowship: Analytical Chemistry Division, NIST, Washington, DC, 1974 – 1975.

National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biophysical Chemistry, Chemistry Department, University of Illinois, Urbana, 1972 – 1974.

The New Curiosity Shop®, a California corporation, September, 1983 – present

2001 – present: Consulting on innovative learning programs, exhibitions, and games grounded in science and technology with an emphasis on sustaining science learning at all ages and expanding public dialogues on science-related issues in diverse communities.

1983 – 2000: Consulting plus Design, development, and production of interactive exhibitions and learning experiences for museums, science centers, government agencies, corporations, and schools worldwide

Founder and President

• Founded the first company in the world to design and produce complete inexpensive hands-on science exhibits for museums and visitor centers. Over the past 20 years, these products have contributed to improving the quality of science learning experiences available to millions of children and adults all over the world.
  
  
• Held full P & L responsibility for the company including: Developing and presenting business plans for venture funding, raising nearly $1M in venture capital from individual investors, managing relationships with investors and Board of Directors, negotiating contracts and directing outside legal support, handling all personnel actions, and directing R & D and production teams.
  
  
• Built the company’s reputation for expertise in science education and a source of highly popular elegant, innovative, scientifically sound learning experiences for over 230 institutions in 16 countries, including Disney’s EPCOT Center, IBM Japan, Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History, Franklin Institute Science Center, New England Aquarium, Mirador Science Center in Santiago, Chile, Singapore Science Center, US National Academy of Sciences, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
  
  
• Developed “Guerilla Science” which uses existing commercial infrastructure and marketing budgets of businesses, rather than public funds, to engage children and parents in learning about science under the guise of entertainment. The purpose was to place resources for science learning in educationally under-served neighborhoods and to promote engagement of parents and caregivers in learning with children. This was done with game-like entertainment products and toys based on science, which were purchased to attract and retain customers in commercial and retail businesses. Products were sold primarily to business chains, including Shop Rite and Kroger’s grocery stores, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Pizza Hut, Burger King, and McDonald’s restaurants.
  
  
• Conceived of and directed the establishment of a rural science education program, which served up to 105 small, isolated schools on the Western Slopes of Colorado with workshops for teachers and parents and special hands-on exhibits for classroom use. Children become more excited by learning and teachers were inspired, gained confidence in teaching science, and began to develop more resources on their own as a direct result of their experience with the project. Begun in 1986, the project is still operating on a small scale in Carbondale, CO.
  
  
• Conducted workshops on inquiry-driven, active learning for teachers and parents in elementary and secondary schools in the US, Russia, and Japan

Member of Leadership and Planning Group for the Education Framework in the Office of Space Science, Oct. 2003 –
Director, Design Team for NASA’s new Science Educational Framework, April, 2004 –

Directing the design of an innovative portal that provides a coherent framework with illuminating and exciting NASA context for teachers, curriculum developers, and scientists seeking access to NASA educational materials related to earth and space science.

Visiting Professor

Teaching section on “science direct to the public” as part of a two year sequence of courses for the Masters degree in science communication at the University of Bristol and @Bristol Science Centre.

Institute Fellow

Co-principal investigator with Dr. John Falk on proposal submitted in August, 2004 to the National Science Foundation to investigate the use of an novel computer adventure game for sustaining science learning in after school programs for adolescents; also developing plans to host a conference at the Institute in 2006 on games as platforms for children’s learning.

Consulting Scientist

Directed planning for a study of implicit and operational knowledge developed during use of sets of conceptually related hands-on activities by children at elementary grade levels.

Distinguished Visiting Professor

Held special one-semester endowed professorial chair under the auspices of The Sister Catherine Julie Cunningham Visiting Professorship. Taught an introductory physical science course and present a series of public lectures on science and pre-college science education.

Consulting Professor of Chemistry

Developed and taught lecture and laboratory courses for undergraduates, including group theory and spectroscopy, physical chemistry, and instrumental analysis.

Visiting Professor

Presented lectures for physics faculty of Colombian universities at the invitation of the Asociacion Pro Centro Internacional de Fisica on "Modern Optical Spectroscopy" with an emphasis on developing richer content and improving strategies for teaching at a college level.

Associate Director

• Represented the Exploratorium in meetings with federal, state, and local government agencies that resulted in increased visibility and funding for the Exploratorium and led to expanded collaborative programs and projects.
  
• Supported Director’s (Dr. Frank Oppenheimer) fundraising activities, including identifying donors, arranging fund-raising meetings, and making presentations to potential donors.
  
• Held significant responsibility for aspects of long-term strategic planning, including building renovation and expansion.
  
• Managed planning for special exhibitions and family programs.
  
• Guided development of exhibits by museum staff and artists-in-residence.
  
• Organized and hosted “Speaking of Music” arts performance series for the public.

Distinguished Visiting Professor

Set up laser spectroscopy laboratory for faculty and graduate students based on methods originally developed in my laboratory at NIST (see below). Presented lectures on my research at 18 major research institutions and universities throughout Japan under the auspices of the Japanese Ministry.

Senior Research Scientist, Project Leader, and Principal Investigator:

• Invented first fundamentally accurate measurement technique for determination of airborne particle sizes using the Doppler shift of laser light scattered from slowly falling particles.
  
• Developed several important new methods for chemical analysis of particles, solutions, surfaces, and reactive mixing using non-linear laser Raman spectroscopy.
  
• Contributed to the elucidation of the mechanism of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and its use for high sensitivity molecular analysis.
  
• Began a program that brought middle and high school students into NIST on weekends and over the summer. Two of my students are now professors of physics at major universities in the US.
  
• Organized and moderated a unique series of chamber music performance plus discussion events by professional musicians at NIST, Gaithersburg, MD (1975 – 1980).

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS): current

American Chemical Society: current

Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC)

European Collaborative for Science, Industry, & Technology Exhibitions (ECSITE)

National Association of Science Teachers (NSTA)

American Biophysical Society

Optical Society of America

American Physical Society

68 publications and invited presentations on science education

28 peer reviewed publications in science journals on original research in chemical physics

Nuclear Disarmament Forum, San Francisco and Center for Innovative Diplomacy, Palo Alto, CA, member of Board of Directors, 1982 – 1987: a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting public understanding of issues critical to disarmament and foreign policy.

Helped organize educational program for a “freedom school” in Crawfordville, GA in 1965 at the request of the Southern Christian Leadership Council.

Able to converse in German and Japanese, plus some knowledge of Spanish, Italian, Russian.

Hold a private pilot’s license for single engine land aircraft in the US and have flown a variety of single and twin-engine aircraft over the past 30 years, but am no longer current.

Organized and led small groups in extended wilderness backpacking expeditions in Alaska, British Columbia, Yukon Territories, and trekking in Nepal.