Sylvia Carol Branzei-Velasquez is the originator of Grossology, or the idea of teaching science through gross things. She is the author of Grossology, Animal Grossology, Grossology Begins at Home, Hands On Grossology and Grossology and You. Grossology, published in 1995 by Planet Dexter, has sold over 350,000 copies. Grossology has been translated into Japanese, Korean, Bulgarian, SA Spanish, French, and UK English. It was on the "Publisher's Weekly" best seller list for thirty weeks and the "San Francisco Chronicle's" best seller list. Animal Grossology, published in 1996 by Planet Dexter, sold 40,000 copies in three months of its release. It also was on the "Publisher's Weekly" and the "San Francisco Chronicle's" best seller lists. Grossology and Animal Grossology have been made into two different museum exhibits and are currently touring the world. Grossology has also become a calendar and a CD-rom.
She has been interviewed and featured by National and International TV, radio, magazines and newspapers including People Magazine, New Scientist, Science Teacher, Self, Time for Kids, Newsweek, National Geographic World, Good Morning America, NBC's Today Show, CNN, BBC, Dr Dre show, Radio Toronto, John Moore show, Radio Disney, MSNBC, Washington Post, Globe and Mail, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Tribune, plus many others. She also has been used as a $500 question on the TV show Jeopardy.
Sylvia's writing experience includes co-authorship with Jack Keely of the beginning readers nonfiction Eurekaville Series starting with The Dinosaur Store and Outer Space Place. She also co-authored "The Soap Opera," Science on Stage Anthology, a play about the chemistry of soap. She authored several articles that appeared in Headteacher, Humboldt Highlights, The Science Teacher, Science Scope, Partners in Education, and Creation Spirituality. She wrote curriculum guides for NASA-SETI and for the Department of Energy. She also edited and wrote textbooks for Addison-Welsey, was a science workshop and assembly presenter for the Lawrence Hall of Science, and designed and taught enrichment classes. And she has designed museum exhibits with Science World, Advanced Animations, and Waste Management.
Sylvia lives in Northwest Washington with her husband, two dogs and one cat. In the past Sylvia was a science teacher at a remote school in Mendocino County, California. She taught science to the entire school from kindergarten through high school. Through the years, Sylvia taught science at various junior high and high schools in Southern and Northern California.
Sylvia received her B.S. degree in Microbiology from the University of Michigan in 1980. She received her M.A. degree in Science Education from California Polytechnic University in 1986.
Other assorted info:
- originally from Michigan, three sisters, mother was a teacher
- four step children, age 21, 23, 24 and 27
- husband is a musician, carpenter, web designer and computer tech
- sang in several bands from folk to rock that played in the San Francisco Bay Area, Humboldt County, and Northwest Washington
