He
has taught Advanced Placement Biology and Biology 1 at Moon
Valley High School, as well as Biology 1 and 2, earth science,
and biological illustrating at Thunderbird High School both
in Phoenix. Early in his career he taught for 5 years
an experiential life science course for junior high students
at Andalucia School in the Alhambra District also in Phoenix.
In the public schools he has been a club sponsor (National
Honor Society, Backpack Club, and Science Club sponsor and
adviser), coached track, cross country, basketball, and
football. He has coached both boys and girls basketball
and soccer in both YMCA youth and club programs.
Science
education is very important to him, and he conducts science
activity workshops for teachers throughout Arizona and the
nation. He is called upon by publishers to assist
them in developing and reviewing science textbooks.
He was under contract with PBS to teach science to middle
school and high school science teachers. Some students
may remember him as "Dave the Scientist" on the
Wallace n' Ladmo Show for five years until the show ended
in 1989.
Professor Harbster is a Fulbright Scholar and traveled to
Malaysia, Borneo, and Singapore to learn about the education,
religion, politics, culture, customs, and environment of
those nations. He has taught general ecology to students
at WuYi University in Jiangman City in the Peoples Republic
of China and learned much about the nation's education system
and environment there, as well traveling about southeastern
Australia. He loves to travel and learn about other
cultures and meet people.
Hiking with his family is a passion of Professor Harbster,
and favorite his hiking locales are the Grand Canyon, Colorado
Rockies, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, the Superstition Mountains,
central Arizona, and Yosemite. He also enjoys rock
climbing, growing carnivorous plants, snorkeling, and tide
pooling. Other interests include art, home gardening,
collecting both fossils and vintage children's science kits.
He loves to reading, poetry and learning about the Civil
War, particularly the battle of Gettysburg. He is
fond of films such as the Lord of the Ringstrilogy, Star
Wars, and many kinds of foreign and unusual art films such
as Northfork, Nowhere in Africa, and Russian Ark.
He is a product of Arizona schools, having attended Longview
and Ocotillo elementary schools, Washington High School,
and Glendale Community College, NAU, and ASU. Throughout
his education he was a student athlete and lettered in high
school and college (NAU) in both track and cross country.
The White House and National Science Foundation have recognized
him with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science
Education. He has been honored for his teaching by
the National Science Teachers Association, National Association
of Biology Teachers, the state department of public instruction
and various organizations and corporations. He has
served as a leader in many science education organizations
and is a member of many of those organizations, as well
as the Union of Concerned Scientists, Center for Biological
Diversity, amongst others.
He is married and has three children. He resides in
Chandler, Arizona and continues learning by taking classes
at our state's universities.
His favorite quotes are from Mark Twain, "I never let
my schooling interfere with my education." Henry
David Thoreau - "As you simplify your life, the laws
of the universe will by simpler." Walt Whitman
- "I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work
of the stars." Teihard de Chardin - "The
future belongs to those who give the next generation hope."
And finally, Rachel Carson, "The lasting pleasures
of contact with the natural world are not reserved for scientists,
but are available to anyone willing to place themselve under
the influence of earth, sea, and sky, and their amazing
life." |
