Category: Past Speakers

Dr. Megan McCall has been teaching science for 17 years and is currently the STEAM Coordinator at Bayside Academy. She completed her Ph.D. in Instructional Design and Development from the University of South Alabama in the Spring of 2017 and has a Master’s in Science Education and undergraduate degree in Environmental Science from the School of Engineering at Auburn University. She has received numerous teaching awards and most notably a Fulbright Distinguished Teaching Award in 2016 with research in New Zealand and a Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching. She is passionate about learning and teaching science and has traveled all over the world doing so! Today she will be sharing highlights from her three month long adventure to Antarctica where she studied Antarctic ice fish and humpback whales with scientists from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Duke University.

Brief Bio Highlights – Dr. Doug Phillips
Popularly called simply “Dr. Doug,” Doug Phillips is known widely for his adventurous travels in Alabama’s wildlands as host of the highly-rated public television program Discovering Alabama, an educational documentary series featuring the natural history and natural wonders of Alabama. In addition to creating and producing this Emmy – honored series, Dr. Phillips has pioneered many other important Alabama initiatives for education and conservation, including the acclaimed model school curriculum Discovering Our Heritage: Incorporating Environmental Education to Integrate the Teaching of History, Geography, Science, Mathematics, and Language Arts – A Community Collaborative Approach and the nationally-recognized model for wildland conservation, the Alabama Forever Wild Program. Dr. Phillips holds the position of Coordinator for Environmental Information and Education with the Alabama Museum of Natural History at the University of Alabama, where he has also authored numerous publications including the national award – winning books, Discovering Alabama Wetlands and Discovering Alabama Forests.

Eleanor Inge Baker
Though Eleanor Inge Baker has never before attempted to pen a volume of this magnitude, what she lacks in experience she makes up for in enthusiasm. She made her debut in Mobile in 2001 as Lady Eleanor Jane Inge, wore bright red lipstick everywhere she went, and after that first season of Mardi Gras revelry, gained a new appreciation for the penitence of Ash Wednesday.
A lover of Mobile, Mardi Gras, family, and anyone with a story to tell, Eleanor finds joy writing about the lives of notable Mobilians for the Port City’s own ACCESS Magazine. She graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in English, and then earned her MFA in Writing from Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky.
Eleanor lives in historic Oakleigh Garden District with her husband, Stephen, and two children, Buck (5) and Hallie Inge (3). Collaborating on this project with her friends, Meggan and Jeff, is one of the greatest honors she has received to date.

Join us for a special Christmas program including the Prichard Prep Singers and the McGill-Toolen Chamber Singers.

A native of Seattle, Washington, Commander Emily Bassett graduated from Boston University (BU) with a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Civilizations. She earned her commission through BU’s Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) program. She is a Nuclear trained Surface Warfare Officer.
Afloat, Bassett completed her first division officer tour aboard the amphibious landing dock ship USS Rushmore (LSD 47) as combat information center officer and assistant operations officer. After nuclear power training, she completed her second division officer tour aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) as the reactor laboratories division officer. She completed two department head equivalent tours, first as operations officer on USS Ingraham (FFG 61) and then as reactor electrical assistant on USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). She served as executive officer on USS Arlington (LPD 24), certifying every warfare area in the ship’s first training cycle and commencing the ship’s maiden deployment. Basset has completed five deployments, to include support in the western pacific, CARAT, Operations Enduring Freedom, Southern Watch, and Iraqi Freedom.
Ashore, Bassett was selected for an Olmsted Scholarship and earned a Master’s degree in Hispanic Studies, taught in Spanish, from the University of Cadiz, Spain. She served as Commander, Naval Air Forces Atlantic’s Force Reactor Training Assistant, and has a Master’s degree in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University. She has completed the Air Command and Staff College program for Joint Professional Military Education Phase I.
Currently, she is the commanding officer of LCS Crew 214, PCU Manchester (LCS 14).