Baccalaureate Program Staff

Ron Solberg

rsolberg@scienceandartsacademy.org

Mr. Solberg has been with SAA for 11 of his 17 years teaching.  He is the Baccalaureate Coordinator, Baccalaureate Social Studies Teacher, and Advisor for the National Jr. Honor Society.  Mr. Solberg possesses a BA from St. Olaf College and a BS from Mankato State University with graduate work in History, Journalism, and Education from the University of Minnesota, Northern Illinois University, University of Iowa, and Middlebury College in Vermont.  Mr. Solberg has Minnesota State teaching certification in Secondary Education.  He has 30 years experience working with schools, associations, and corporations in public relations and as a marketing practitioner.  Mr. Solberg received the 2006 Illinois Council of Social Studies “Distinguished Teaching in Social Studies” Award and has been awarded several grants and fellowships including: 1998 National Humanities Council grant to study the culture, traditions and history of the Native American in the Midwest, 2001-2002 Scholl Center Fellow for Work and Community in the U.S. History Curriculum, 2002-2003 Chicago Historical Society Lab Teacher Fellowship, 2003-2004 Chicago Metro History Education Center Fellow.  Formerly, Mr. Solberg was president of the 500-member Chicago Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.  Be watching for the release of Mr. Solberg’s book chronicling the history of America’s traveling salesmen to be released in spring of 2008.  His favorite quote is: “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry.  He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause and say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well’.” (Martin Luther King, Jr.).

Christine Voss

cvoss@scienceandartsacademy.org

Mrs. Voss has been part of the SAA family for 4 years and has 10 years of teaching experience.  She teaches both Math and Science to our Baccalaureate students, as well as Illinois Junior Academy of Science Sponsor and helps with Science Olympiad.  Mrs. Voss has a BS in Biological Sciences from the University of Chicago and has Graduate work in Mathematics and Education in a Certificate program at Northeastern Illinois University.  She has Secondary Certification (grades 6-12) for all math and science.  Mrs. Voss was a Lab Assistant at Mason Barron Labs, a Pharmacy Tech at Evanston Hospital, and USDA Inspector at O’Hare International Airport.  She has also taught in the Gifted and Talented Summer Program at Dominican University.  Mrs. Voss is a University of Chicago Scholarship Award winner, Illinois Junior Academy of Science – Chicago Regional Award winner and was elected to the School Board as Finance and Fundraising Committee Chair.  She lived in Europe for almost two years where she won the Belgian-American Queen Contest and worked on a mission in Rwanda to set up a library in a mobile clinic, teach English, and pick coffee beans.  Her favorite quote is: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” (Eleanor Roosevelt). 

Catherine Katauskas

ckatauskas@scienceandartsacademy.org

Mrs. Katauskas is in her 2^nd year with SAA and has 17 years of teaching experience.  She possesses a BS in Biology and Chemistry from Mundelein College and an MAT with a math/science concentration in Elementary Education from National-Louis University.  Ms. Katauskas has an Illinois Teaching Certification (grades K-9).  Prior to coming to SAA, she worked in the education department at the John G. Shedd Aquarium and at Harold Washington College.  Mrs. Katauskas is a current member of Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), and National Council for Teachers of Mathematic (NCTM).  She enjoys singing in choirs, reading, cooking, and Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.  Mrs. Katauskas’ favorite quote is: “How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone” (Coco Chanel).

Susan Dickman

sdickman@scienceandartsacademy.org

Ms. Dickman is in her 1^st year with SAA and has a total of 15 years of teaching experience.  She is a Baccalaureate Language Arts Instructor and the Sponsor for the student magazine Zephyr.  Ms. Dickman has a BA in English & Rhetoric from University of Illinois - Champaign and a MFA in English from University of California – Irvine.  She possesses Illinois Teaching Certification and has fellowships & awards from the Illinois Arts Council (1998, 2002, 2005).  Ms. Dickman was also recognized for “Skin” Best American Poetry (2003).  She enjoys beekeeping, photography, and traveling.  Her favorite quote is: “I am still learning” (Michelangelo).