About Grandma Rocks (Barbara
Joyce Frank)
 Barbara
Joyce Frank, Ph.D., has been a trailblazer and advocate of
humanity’s profound connection to Nature and the Earth, for the past
40 years.
As Grandma Rocks and through her Grandparents
Into Nature, Barbara’s mission is to motivate and empower
grandparents around the world to connect with their grandchildren
through the sharing of Nature. Being a grandmother of five
grandkids, she is discovering the joy of introducing them, as she
has done with people of all ages throughout her career, to the
Earth’s fascinating story and lessons for living.
Barbara shares her Earth-systems knowledge to inspire grandparents
worldwide to encourage their grandkids to be our planet’s future
stewards. In this way, she is helping baby boomers to bond with
their grandchildren, as well as bring balance into the lives of
grandchildren who spend far too much time in cyberspace and too
little time outdoors. Her programs give grandparents the skills to
share Nature’s wisdom with their grandchildren, which bring joy,
wonder and a deep sense of belonging to both generations.
Raised near the Atlantic Ocean, at a very early age Barbara felt a
deep sense of connection to Planet Earth. Throughout her life, she
has derived inspiration, guidance and comfort from Nature, and found
ways to share it with others worldwide. She encourages people to
bring Nature into their workplaces, schools and homes. Her mission
is to weave Nature’s wisdom into everyone’s life. She was green
decades before it was cool.
 Barbara’s doctoral dissertation research was a groundbreaking
interdisciplinary environmental project on the effects of
urbanization on the flow of a South Carolinian river. After
completion of her doctorate, Barbara and her two children embarked
on an adventure, which would result in spending 15 years in Europe.
University of Maryland University College hired Barbara as a faculty
member to develop a Geology program at its Munich, Germany Campus.
Her years of teaching were marked by the attendance of 25% of the
student body in her classes and study tours. She led
experiential-learning courses to Italy for volcanoes, Yugoslavia for
caves, and Austria and Switzerland for glaciers.
Since returning to the United States, Barbara has worked for the
U.S. House of Representatives Science and Space and Technology
Committee, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Department
of Energy. For the past decade, she has created a meeting and
training retreat center in naturally beautiful Great Falls,
Virginia, 30 minutes from Washington, DC, and five minutes from the
Potomac River. Her business, Meeting Oasis, is designed to help
nonprofit, government and corporate organizations to deal
innovatively with change, drawing on deep understanding of natural
systems. All the while, she guides people to experience joy and
meaning from a deep connection to Nature through teaching courses,
writing books, giving speeches, leading tours, and developing
educational products.
Barbara’s Ph.D. in Environmental Geology is from University of South
Carolina, 1973. Her doctoral research focused on the effects of
urbanization on the Reedy River, Greenville, South Carolina,
1941- 71. Her M.S. in Organizational Development was earned at the
American University, 1997. Her thesis topic was on improving
communication between the U.S. Department of Energy’s
scientists/engineers and its public stakeholders regarding the
cleaning-up of nuclear waste sites nationwide.
Among Barbara’s clients of Grandma Rocks Nature Programs, Team
Building and Retreat Center Programs have been Dunkin' Donuts,
ExxonMobil, Ritz Carlton, Verizon, Freddie Mac, U.S. Grains Council,
U.S. Office of Personnel Management, American Red Cross, American
Diabetes Society, Friends of the Earth, International Foundation for
Electoral System, National Public Radio, The Nature Conservancy,
University of District of Columbia. |
