As a biology education researcher, I have three primary branches of investigation: 1) I study teaching and learning in biology with the aim of understanding what drives students to persist in biology research endeavors when they encounter challenges, setbacks, and ambiguity. My focus is on students' development of motivation, grit, and resiliency in scientific research pursuits and how we, as instructors, can provide students with opportunities to develop these characteristics. 2) I also study how community engaged research experiences provide students opportunities to interact with local community members and how these interactions can lead students to develop the desire and ability to engage - scientifically - with their communities (i.e., scientific civic engagement). 3) Finally, I study how community college faculty develop skills and self-efficacy in performing discipline based education research and in offering research experiences in their classrooms.
keywords
discipline based education research, life science education, biology education, ecology and evolutionary biology education, equity and inclusivity in biology education, course based undergraduate research experience assessment, resiliency in science, field-based undergraduate research experiences, creativity in science, community-engaged science, scientific civic engagement
EBIO 1010 - Introduction to Quantitative Thinking for Biologists
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018 / Spring 2019 / Spring 2021 / Spring 2022 / Spring 2023
Focuses on the collection, visualization and analysis of data that are relevant for advancing critical thinking, student-directed learning, and the development of quantitative analysis skills, with an emphasis on using R and examples from ecology and evolutionary biology.
EBIO 1250 - Introduction to Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Research
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2019 / Fall 2020 / Fall 2021
Introduces students to research in ecology and evolutionary biology topics in the context of investigations about Boulder's local historic apple trees. Students will learn about the genetics, physiology, and urban ecology of the trees in the lecture and have the opportunity to research one of these topics more in depth in the laboratory courses. Results from the research on Boulder's Apples will be reported back to the Boulder community by student researchers.
EBIO 2040 - Principles of Ecology
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2022
Lecture and laboratory. Introduces principles of ecology, emphasizing patterns and processes at various levels of biological organization. Scope global, but examples often from local environment. Laboratory emphasizes techniques of field biology. Uses animals and/or animal tissues. Recommended prerequisites: EBIO 1030 and EBIO 1040 and EBIO 1050 or EBIO 1210 and EBIO 1220 and EBIO 1230 and EBIO 1240 (minimum grade C-). Same as EBIO 2640 and ENVS 2000.
EBIO 4990 - EBIO Honors Thesis Research
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018 / Spring 2019
To be taken during the final academic year prior to graduation. Consists of the final phase of honors research and thesis preparation under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Recommended prerequisites: minimum 3.3 GPA and a declared EBIO major and approval by departmental Honors program.
ENVS 5930 - Internship
Primary Instructor
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Summer 2022
Provides academically supervised opportunities for environmental studies majors to work in public and private organizations on projects related to the students' research and career goals, and to relate classroom theory to practice.
