Fellows

Jameel Al-Haddad is an instructor (fixed-term) in the Department of Plant Biology with ten-year experience as teaching assistant followed by four years as instructor of record at Oakland Community College and Michigan State University. His teaching approach shifted from traditional to learner-centered, evidence-based pedagogy. He taught in-person, hybrid, and fully online courses for majors and non-majors. He was named a ‘Learning Leader’ by the Department of Residence Life at MSU. Jameel served on two standing departmental committees, the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Jameel joined MSU as an international graduate student and earned a dual PhD in plant biology and ecology, evolutionary biology and behavior (EEBB). He earned both of his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from Jordan University of Science and Technology in Jordan. Jameel published primary research articles in the fields of plant stress physiology, plant pathology, and plant biomechanics.

Beth Brisco-McCann is an instructor in the Department of Plant Biology at Michigan State University. She
completed her Bachelors in Plant Biology at the University of British Columbia, her Masters degree in
Biotechnology from the University of Toronto, and her Doctorate in Plant Breeding and Genetics from
MSU. She currently teaches PLB105 (Introductory Plant Biology) and ISB202 (Applications of
Environmental and Organismal Biology). In these large lecture courses, Beth employs multiple active
learning methods to engage students with the material, including iClicker questions and group activities.
She has taught both online and in-person formats and is always seeking ways to improve the
educational experience of her students. Her ultimate goal is to impart the importance of science in her
students’ lives and wonder of the world around them.

Brittany Busby serves as a Laboratory Coordinator at MSU. She is a co-coordinator for the Survey of Organic Chemistry lab and a co-coordinator for both semesters of general chemistry lab. These are large-scale courses that serve about 2000 students each semester. She is interested in developing labs that are more relevant to students’ lives and majors. Additionally, she hopes to continue improving the training for teaching assistants, providing them with the tools to be successful helping students. She received her Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of Montana–Missoula under the guidance of Mark Cracolice and Chris Palmer, where her chemistry education research focused on graphing skill transfer between math and chemistry. During this time, she also had the opportunity to restructure a pre-nursing lab course, creating a data-to-concepts curriculum. She did her postdoctoral research at Auburn University with Jordan Harshman, evaluating the effectiveness of chemistry doctoral systems.

Phillip Delekta is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at Michigan State University. He is also the Course Director of MMG 301 Introductory Microbiology and MMG 494L Summer Undergraduate Research Institute in Genomics. Phillip earned his Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Michigan. During his postdoctoral studies in virology at the University of Michigan, he completed the Postdoctoral Short-Course on College Teaching in Science and Engineering by the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching at UM and gained his first lead instructor experience teaching part time at Eastern Michigan University. During a second postdoctoral fellowship in bacteriology at MSU, he received certification with distinction for completion of An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate STEM Teaching by the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning and taught BS 171 and MMG 434. As course director of MMG 301, he has focused on developing an active learning model and online learning environments that emphasize scientific practices.

I am an Assistant Professor in Lyman Briggs College and the Department of Physiology at Michigan State University. I earned my Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania and was previously a Teaching Professor at the University of Washington where I won the university-wide Distinguished Teaching Award.

I use evidence-based teaching strategies in all of my teaching and have taught in a variety of courses and settings, including introductory and advanced science courses for majors and pre-service teachers, methods courses, individual student research projects, and professional development for K-16 teachers and mentored co-teaching with grad students and postdocs.
I use a mechanistic approach to biology and my exams are at higher Bloom’s levels where students’ must synthesize information and solve novel problems.

I am a biology education researcher and investigate how undergraduate students develop principle-based reasoning. I use a learning progressions approach to coherently links students’ developing reasoning, data from learning assessments, and instructional tools and approaches.

Tom Finzell is an instructor in the Computational, Mathematics, Science, and Engineering (CMSE) Department at Michigan State University. He received his PhD from MSU in Astronomy. His research currently focuses on student problem solving in introductory computational classes. Tom has taught physics, astronomy, and computational classes and is currently teaching the introductory sequence CMSE 201/202. He is passionate about his teaching, working to improve access and increase the diversity of the fields he’s a part of, and trying to ensure a just and equitable learning environment.

Rachel Frisbie is a Fixed-term Assistant Professor in the Department of Computational Mathematics, Science & Engineering (CMSE) at Michigan State University. She earned her PhD in Astrophysics from Michigan State University in 2020 and has been teaching courses in CMSE and engaging in computational science education research with the Computational Education Research Lab (CERL) at MSU since 2020. Her interests include exploring how students problem solve using computational concepts as they progress through their education as well as how those findings can be applied to courses like the ones we teach in CMSE to improve student outcomes. Rachel is excited to collaborate with Tom Finzell and Paul Hamerski within the Fellowship to learn new teaching and assessment practices and apply them to both her teaching and research. Outside of work, Rachel enjoys exploring with her spouse, toddler, and dog, playing oboe, and tin smithing.

Patti Hamerski (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in the Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering (CMSE) department at Michigan State University. She got her PhD at Michigan State University, where she employed student-centered research methodologies to identify curricular challenges that impact students’ affect in computation-integrated physics classrooms. Her work in CMSE involves teaching introductory computational and data science courses where students learn computational practices and applications to real world problems. Her research focuses on characterizing students’ self-efficacy for doing computation and building an understanding of how computational self-efficacy can develop during CMSE 201: Introduction to Computational Modeling and Data Analysis. During the 3DL program, she intends to collaborates with Dr. Rachel Frisbie and Dr. Tom Finzell to design new ways to support students’ self-efficacy in CMSE 201 and also build robust instructor guides to strengthen the sustainability of the course.

Neal Hammer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at Michigan State University. He earned his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Michigan. The Hammer laboratory studies Staphylococcus aureus pathogenesis and antibiotic resistance from a metabolic perspective. Dr. Hammer’s teaching appointment began in 2017 and focused on Introductory Microbiology, an upper level science course with an enrollment that exceeds 400. The format of the course was initially a didactic lecture, but active learning was impeded by poor attendance. To enhance student learning by increasing active participation, in 2018, the course was ‘flipped’ to a hybrid online, in-person format. Since then Dr. Hammer and his colleagues have been fine-tuning the format and content. His major goal is to help students appreciate the importance of microbiology in their every-day lives and achieve their academic goals.

My name is Jonathan Hardy and I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at Michigan State University. I teach a 300-level course in Microbiology with about 480 students per semester. The course is team-taught with another professor and is a flipped course, with all lectures in the form of 10 to 20-minute videos. We use the online Desire to Learn (D2L) program to provide the lectures and for formative assessments. The course includes one 80-minute in-person section for the students each week, where they are broken into groups of four for active learning. The groups are carefully assigned using CATME to match the students and form productive groups. I greatly enjoy teaching this class, although it is a lot of work. The sections are fun because we can interact with the students directly. Many undergraduate students in my lab have come from this course.

Rachel is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the CREATE for STEM Institute at MSU. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in physics from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania and her Master’s and PhD in physics from West Virginia University. Rachel was a former post-doctoral researcher working with Danny in the Physics Education Research Lab (PERL) before joining the faculty at Michigan State. Her research focuses on developing and implementing inclusive and equitable assessment tools that can be used to improve learning for all students within the physics classroom. Specifically, she’s most interested in developing the next generation of physics assessments, particularly with an eye to equity and inclusion. Her work employs psychometric theory through large datasets and theoretically-grounded measurement models with an aim to ensure inclusive assessment practices within physics education.

Johanna Herman is an academic teaching specialist in the Department of chemistry at Michigan State University, overseeing and coordinating the General Chemistry Laboratory program. In her current position, she implements Cooperative Chemistry Laboratory curriculum—focusing on providing students opportunities to engage in common scientific practices while working as part of a team.

Before joining MSU, Johanna earned a Doctorate Degree of Chemistry from the University of Delaware in 2020 studying the photodegradation of singlet oxygen sensors using spectroscopic methods. While enrolled as a graduate student, she severed as a teaching assistant and preceptor to various General Chemistry laboratory programs, including an integrated general biology–chemistry program. Before then, she attended Delaware Valley University, earning dual Bachelor’s Degrees in Chemistry and Secondary Education.

Outside of work, Johanna has a passion for helping felines find their furrever home. She is currently fostering and volunteering with the Saved by Zade nonprofit organization in the greater Lansing area.

Corey Higley is an Assistant Professor with the Biological Sciences Program at Michigan State University. She is an aquatic ecologist with a background in higher education scholarship and undergraduate learning pedagogy. Corey earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and her MS and PhD from Michigan State. Her dissertation research focused on assessing pedagogical approaches that influence student attitudes about the environment as an outcome of learning in environmental and natural resources courses. Corey teaches introductory organismal biology lab and lecture courses, as well as various field courses and study abroad!

I’m an evolutionary geneticist in the Plant Biology department at Michigan State University. My lab studies how evolution shapes trait variation within plant species. I’ve been working at MSU since 2019. Before coming here, I was a postdoc at the University of California, Davis, and a PhD student at the University of Toronto. I’m originally from southern California but I kind of like winter. In addition to being a professor, I’m mom to one kiddo (born in 2021), and a mediocre triathlete.

Sofia Karampagia is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at Grand Valley State University. She received her
Ph.D. in Physics at National Technical University of Athens. Her research focuses on nuclear structure. She will work with
the 3DL4US team to develop assessments and to rethink teaching approaches that promote student learning for introductory
physics courses.

Jinjie Liu is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University who focuses on education and research. She teaches cell and molecular biology courses at Biological Sciences Program and established a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) curriculum for the Cell and Molecular Biology laboratory course, providing students with more inclusive research experiences and aiming to inspire them for a STEM career. She assesses students’ learning outcomes and scaffolds their learning process as part of her education research focus. Her science research interest is in lipid metabolic engineering and lipid-mediated signaling pathways.

Shahnaz Masani is an assistant professor at Lyman Briggs College & the Department of Physiology.  Her mission as educator is not only to teach, but also to inspire; to create life-long learners and informed, thoughtful citizens. She strives to design an inclusive, engaging & challenging classroom. She uses a flipped approach to teaching, with an aim to help students identify and link core concepts and develop their science process skills by constructing and testing hypothesis, analyzing data, and constructing scientific arguments in lab and lecture. Her research focuses on identifying novel pedagogical approaches in biology education, with an emphasis on interventions focused on increasing inclusivity & equity in the classroom.

Kirtimaan Mohan is an Assistant Professor at the Lyman Briggs College and at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Michigan State University. His research focuses on particle physics phenomenology. What is the nature of dark matter? How should we be looking for signs of new physics? What is the nature of the Higgs boson? How can precision calculations in quantum field theory help us answer these questions? These are some of the questions that he engages with. He is also interested in introducing computation in the physics curriculum and making physics courses more interdisciplinary in nature.

Josh Veazey is an assistant professor in the Department of Physics at Grand Valley State University. He received his Ph.D. in Physics at Michigan State University. Josh teaches introductory level physics and advanced lab (beyond the first year). He currently serves as the faculty introductory lab coordinator for the physics department at GVSU. Josh’s instructional focus includes data- and inquiry-based activities, as well as alternative forms of grading such as specifications and standards-based grading. He also enjoys involving undergraduates in his research on thin-film multiferroics, and on development of new advanced lab apparatus.

Cholani Weebadde is an Associate Professor in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences at Michigan State University (MSU). She received her Ph.D. degree with a dual major in the Genetics and the Plant Breeding and Genetics programs of Michigan State University in 2005. As the Plant Breeder for International Programs, Dr. Weebadde interacts closely with MSU breeders to help expand their programs by reaching out to the global plant breeding community through initiating collaborative research and capacity building programs.

Dr. Weebadde is currently on a 100% teaching appointment and teaches plant breeding and biotechnology courses. She also teaches Biology to non-biology majors through the Center for Integrative Studies in General Sciences (CISGS). During summer, she continues mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in strawberry breeding research with a focus on training future plant breeders and educators while developing new varieties and also teaches an online professional plant breeding certificate course to an international audience.

Mengqi (Veronica) Zhang is an organic chemistry laboratory coordinator in Chemistry Department. She received her bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and Business Management from Nankai University, China. She then earned a PhD in Chemistry at the University of Georgia with specialization in chemical education. Her research interest focuses on curriculum development, instructional laboratory experiment design, green chemistry, and microwave chemistry

Rachel Barnard is a teaching specialist in the chemistry group in the Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State University. She has a masters and doctorate in chemistry from the University of Michigan. During her post-doc at the University of Michigan, she was a part of an effort to work across seven science and math departments to incorporate evidence-based instructional practices. At LBC, Rachel teaches the two-semester General Chemistry lab and lecture course series (LB 171 / 171L / 172 / 172L) and oversees 40 Undergraduate Learning Assistants. In her courses, students explore the fundamental ideas and practices of chemistry. Recent curriculum development projects have included incorporating more scaffolded opportunities to develop particulate-level reasoning and metacognition in the lecture courses. Rachel works to include the Undergraduate Learning Assistants as authentic members of our learning community as we make curriculum revisions together. Her research interests span socialization in doctoral education and learning assistant’s participation in students’ learning processes.

I am a professor of chemistry and have a research program in macromolecular modeling (current favorite enzymes are topoisomerase and chloroperoxidase).  My bread-and-butter teaching is all things physical chemistry. As FIU has grown, so has the PChem II class size, and with it, the number of students who just don’t seem to get it.  I’ve gotten an itch to do something about that, and so I’m pleased to be part of this group. My colleagues who also teach the course are interested in how it goes, so if I’m able to make some improvements, they just might outlast me.  More broadly, I began thinking about teaching innovation at the upper division level when I was department chair. I would like to see what might be done, and if it is promising, help lead change.

Valerie Hedges is an assistant professor in the Neuroscience Program at Michigan State University. She attended John Carroll University and received her PhD at The University of Minnesota studying the neural mechanisms of motivated behavior. During her postdoctoral research, she served as an instructor of record for a large neuroscience course. This experience, combined with her work on a NIH-funded project focused on neuroscience education in high school classrooms, furthered her interests in STEM education. Valerie took a position as an assistant professor at Northern Michigan University 2014-2017 before joining MSU in the fall of 2017.

Valerie teaches NEU301 and NEU302, the large required introductory courses for neuroscience majors. She is also one of the instructors for NEU311L, the required laboratory course for upper-level neuroscience majors. In her courses, Valerie emphasizes data interpretation, graph reading, attention to detail, and communication. Valerie is also passionate about providing neuroscience outreach to children through various events.

Casey Henley is an Assistant Professor and Director of Online Programs in the Neuroscience Program. She earned her Ph.D. in Zoology from Michigan State University. Her work focuses on creating successful online learning environments by implementing evidence-based teaching practices and using technology to improve student outcomes. She values student success in the classroom and is always looking for innovative ways to improve learning. Dr. Henley directs the fully online Medical Neuroscience Graduate Certificate Program, teaches students from freshmen to graduate students, and takes an active role in sharing online education practices with colleagues. Additionally, she is engaged in improving accessibility of course materials to provide equivalent educational experiences to all students.

Krystyna Kijewska is an academic specialist/instructor in the Department of Chemistry and holds a Doctorate Degree of Chemistry from the University of Warsaw, Poland. Krystyna teaches courses CEM 141 (General Chemistry) and CEM 142 (General & Inorganic Chemistry). She is part of a team of instructors that apply the CLUE (Chemistry, Life, Universe and Everything) approach. The CLUE program focuses on the three-dimensional teaching and learning model – core ideas in chemistry, crosscutting concepts and scientific practices. In her lectures, she employs active learning approaches, such as active participation (iClicker questions, real-time feedback, group activities), which help students to effectively and efficiently think about presented material. During her lectures, she discourages rote memorization. Instead, she encourages students to relate concepts and theory to build and reinforce their knowledge.

Andy Krause is a teaching specialist in the Department of Mathematics at Michigan State University.  He earn a MS in Mathematics and is Ph.D. Candidate in Mathematics Education at Michigan State University. Andy teaches a variety of introductory mathematics courses and provides professional development for undergraduate, graduate, post-doc, and faculty instructors in the department. He is also involved in a variety of curriculum development and educational inquiry projects targeted at improving introductory courses. Andy’s research focuses on understanding students’ learning experiences with reformed curriculum to inform ongoing development.

Vinod Kumarappan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at Kansas State University. He is an experimentalist working in the area of atomic, molecular and optical physics, where his primary research interest is exploring and understanding the time-dependent quantum mechanics of small molecules using ultrafast laser pulses. His current focus is on aligning and orienting gas-phase molecules in space to enable molecular-frame measurements. His teaching interests include upper-level electromagnetic and quantum theory as well as introductory physics for engineering and physics majors.

I have been teaching chemistry for the past 39 years. I have taught over many different courses over the years but I consider my area to be Inorganic Chemistry. When I first began teaching I was just told what material to cover, and I did. I have developed my own way of teaching never having been formally trained as an educator. I find many of the concepts spoken about in the workshop I already implement to a large degree. I just did not know what to call them. Other parts of the material are totally new to me; these I find the most useful.  I have joined this program in order to learn more about myself as an educator and thereby improve the techniques I utilize in order to ensure student learning.

Ryan Maccombs received his M.S. in Mathematics from Michigan State University and now works there as a Teaching Specialist. Ryan’s main duties including running and teaching in the core calculus sequence. Ryan is interested in using technology to improve large lecture courses including flipping lectures with the use of videos, course forums, engaging/interactive large lectures, and personalized email communication with students. In Ryan’s free time he enjoys playing frisbee, tennis, and board games. He is currently in the process of starting a non-profit cat cafe in East Lansing with his wife.

I am an assistant professor in the Physics Department at Kansas State University working in the field of experimental atomic and molecular physics and currently teaching physics classes mostly at the introductory and upper-division undergraduate level. My research uses femtosecond lasers, both traditional table-top systems in our lab at KSU as well as large-scale X-ray lasers at international research facilities like SLAC in Stanford or DESY in Hamburg/Germany, to take movies of molecules that undergo chemical reactions. By studying the motion of atoms or even individual electrons while sunlight is converted into energy or one molecules is transformed into another, I hope to contribute towards developing cleaner and more efficient energy sources and to understand some of the fundamental reactions that govern our daily life and the world around us. In teaching, my main interest currently lies in developing tools and approaches for teaching our General Physics course for non-STEM majors, which I will be taking over as lead instructor in Spring 2020. I am also interested in ways to incorporate a computational curriculum in upper-division physics classes.

Jenny Taylor is an academic specialist in the Neuroscience Program at Michigan State University. Prior to coming to MSU, she attended Adrian College and then earned her PhD at Wayne State University. She went on to complete postdoctoral training at the University of Michigan, where her research focused on Parkinson’s Disease. She began her teaching career by overseeing undergraduate researchers in the laboratory and by teaching classes in research and writing.   

Jenny has been teaching NEU311L, the required laboratory course and upper level writing course for neuroscience majors, since 2012.  Students attempt to replicate published findings reported in the primary literature for several topics. They examine the effects of lavender oil on brain waves in fellow students, of a drug on movement in a fruit fly model of Parkinson’s disease, and of potassium on the electrical properties of crayfish tissue. Students practice collecting, analyzing, and reporting data, as well as explaining these exercises to a non-scientist. This prepares them to actively participate in a student led-project in which they work with a team to devise and test a hypothesis using the results reported in a different manuscript in a related subject area. As part of their project, students prepare a formal scientific manuscript as well as a short, informative video directed towards a lay audience.  Throughout the course, Jenny stresses the importance of scientific integrity, professionalism, attention to detail, and clear communication to her students.

Jenny also devotes considerable effort to share her enthusiasm for the brain with children. She leads a gifted and talented camp session about the nervous system and organizes the annual Neuroscience Fair, which is a free event filled with hands-on activities that draws nearly 1000 people each year. 

Chrysoula Vasileiou is a teaching specialist in the Department of Chemistry at Michigan State University.  She received her B.S. in Chemistry from University of Crete, Greece and her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Michigan State University.  Her research interests focus on bioorganic chemistry (protein engineering) and organic spectroscopy. During her tenure at MSU, Chrysoula has taught a variety of classes with emphasis on large, service, Organic Chemistry classes for preprofessional students. Her teaching approach is to always try to reach as many students as possible and make their time in class both educational and rewarding.The challenge lies in helping the students to realize that science is a way of thinking and that the basic concepts and problem solving skills that are acquired during introductory classes can be applied to all disciplines and all future careers. To be able to do that better, Chrysoula is always open to new opportunities that will allow her to expand her teaching toolbox.

Andrea Bierema is an academic specialist in the Center for Integrative Studies in General Science and Department of Integrative Biology. She has a Master’s in Biological Sciences and Doctorate in Science Education: Biological Sciences from Western Michigan University. Andrea teaches ISB 202 (Applications of Environmental and Organismal Biology) and ISB 204 (Applications of Biomedical Sciences). Her courses are designed using a flipped approach in which students learn basic content outside of class time and then class time is dedicated to applying content to case studies. Formats include face-to-face courses, hybrid courses, and online courses. Research interests span from animal behavior to undergraduate science education.

Sarah Clark is the Chemistry Success Center director and an affiliate faculty member in the chemistry department at Grand Valley State University.  She received her MS in physical chemistry from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.  She completed her undergraduate studies in chemistry with an emphasis in secondary education at Michigan Technological University and taught high school chemistry and physics for two years at an international high school in St. Paul, MN.  Sarah teaches general chemistry courses and is currently teaching preparatory chemistry, a course designed to prepare students for success in general chemistry.  Her professional interests include:

• Designing instruction to build students’ conceptual understanding of chemistry.
• The role of relationships in promoting first-year student success, including how student connections with both faculty members and classmates are related to student engagement and persistence.
• Best practices for developing undergraduate student tutors’ pedagogical strategies.

Milagros (Milly) Delgado is University Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Florida International University. She received her Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Miami. Milly is interested in student-centered learning through class activities, multimedia, videos, animations, and live demonstrations.  Milly is also interested in students attitude toward chemistry and the use of frequent formative assessment in aiding in student’s learning.

I’m a professor of physics at Kansas State University engaged in research in experimental particle physics and in teaching physics at multiple levels, from introductory physics for non-majors to advanced topics for graduate students.  My primary research focus is on neutrinos, which come in three types, are created in nuclear and other high-energy interactions, oscillate between types once created, and interact very weakly with matter. By learning more about neutrinos, we better can understand their role in the universe and use them as tools to study other phenomena. In teaching, my current interest is in improving how we teach problem solving to non-STEM majors in our General Physics course, escpecially in how we structure recitation sections. Changes over the past few years include emphasizing active and interactive learning with small groups solving context-rich problems in recitation. We hope to incorporate learning assistants into recitations in the future.

John Keane is an academic specialist in the Department of Statistics and Probability at Michigan State University. He received an MS in Applied Statistics and MA in Education from the University of Michigan. John’s teaching efforts focus on courses in introductory statistics, where he incorporates a variety of inquiry-based and engaged learning practices. His current focus concentrates on tailoring statistics curriculum to natural science disciplines, covering parametric and non-parametric procedures.

Katie Krueger is an Instructor in the Biological Sciences Program. She earned her PhD in Neurosciences from Case Western Reserve University. Her interests include developing a learning framework and activities to help students solidify their understanding of fundamental biology principles, and help them make conceptual connections among their biology lecture, biology lab, and chemistry courses.

Huey-Wen Lin is an Assistant Professor in the Department Physics and Astronomy & Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering at Michigan State University. Her research uses high-performance supercomputers to nonperturbatively calculate physical quantities at the quark and gluon level (that is, using quantum chromodynamics or QCD). These strong interactions are directly calculated from the Standard Model path integral, using a four-dimensional grid in Euclidean spacetime, a theoretical tool known as lattice gauge theory. She received NSF CAREER Award in 2017 for her research and an outreach project to get kids interested in QCD. Bringing more students to physics and computational science is one of her main goals at MSU.

Louise Mead is the Education Director for the BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, with an adjunct appointment in the Department of Integrative Biology.  As an evolutionary biologist, Louise continues to do research on salamanders, currently at part of the Salamander Population Research Coordination Network (SPARCNet).  Louise teaches a comprehensive introductory biology course, designed to meet the needs of non-life science STEM majors.  The course uses a case-based approach, with the goal of introducing students to all levels of biological organization within a single system – from DNA to populations.  Louise is also involved in three NSF funded education-related research projects, all of which aim to integrate elements of current biology education reform in the development of new teaching and learning materials  – Collaborative Research: Scientific Data in Schools: Measuring the efficacy of an innovative approach to integrating quantitative reasoning in secondary science; Collaborative Research: Connected Biology: Three-dimensional learning from molecules to populations; and Active LENS: Learning Evolution and the Nature of Science Using Evolution in Action.

Louise has published her scientific work in Evolution journals such as Evolution and Trends in Ecology and Evolution, and her education research in CBE Life Sciences and Evolution: Education and Outreach. She has also served as a science content and education consultant.

I am an instructor for the Plant Biology Department at Michigan State University. Previously I was the Greenhouse Manager for the department teaching greenhouses and repurposed and developed 23,000 square feet of greenhouse space into interpretive and hands on exhibits that were utilized by MSU classes and outreach programs. I received an MS degree from the department of Entomology at MSU focusing on integrative pest management and plant insect interactions.

My teaching experience has included instruction geared toward all age levels but has been primarily at the college age level where I’ve taught and developed a number of courses for majors and non-science majors in Plant Biology, Integrative Studies in General Science, Study Broad and study away programs.

Kirstin Parkin is an assistant professor in the department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. She earned her PhD in Immunology from Loyola University Chicago and was fortunate to teach a full-semester undergraduate immunology course during her final year in graduate school.  That was an overwhelmingly positive experience that lead to a teaching position in the Biological Sciences department at Wayne State University for ten years.  During her tenure at WSU, Kirstin taught a variety of courses from nighttime biology classes for non-majors, to 500-student lecture courses for biology majors.  She also led an after-school science club and taught one year of high school biology for a charter school in downtown Detroit.  Six years ago, Kirstin began teaching at MSU and collaborating on reproductive research focused on the role of the immune system in endometriosis and pregnancy.  She has been the lead instructor and course coordinator for a variety of undergraduate and medical school courses, and is currently the course coordinator for BS161, the large intro biology course for life science majors.  Kirstin has been developing an active learning model for her undergraduate immunology course for the past four years that centers on using primary research articles from MSU labs as learning tools to help to help students learn how to “think” like MSU scientists.  Her goal is to help students connect biology and science practices to everyday life and to make her courses a more meaningful experience for the students.

I grew up in Indiana, completed my BS in chemistry at Purdue University in 1997 and my MS in analytical chemistry at Indiana University in 1999. I worked for a year in an analytical laboratory on a naval base, before moving with my husband to Grand Rapids, MI in 2000.  I began teaching chemistry as an adjunct at GVSU and Calvin College part time.  In 2003 I started teaching full time at GVSU as visiting faculty and in 2006 I was converted to affiliate faculty.  From 2010 to 2012 I participated in the Target Inquiry program at GVSU.  I have taught general education chemistry at GVSU, and I currently alternate between analytical chemistry and general chemistry.

Stephanie Schaertel is an associate professor of chemistry at Grand Valley State University. She received her PhD in physical chemistry from Cornell University and her undergraduate degree in chemistry from Swarthmore College. At GVSU her teaching is focused on physical chemistry lecture and laboratory and on general chemistry lecture and laboratory. Stephanie has taught writing-intensive courses in the chemistry major. Stephanie enjoys working with undergraduate students on experimental physical chemistry research projects centered on spectroscopic techniques. She also enjoys developing new laboratory experiments or tweaking old ones and she has recently co-authored an article on the construction of a low-cost laser spectrometer for undergraduate labs.

Devin Silvia is a teaching specialist in the Department of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. He received his PhD from the University of Colorado in astrophysical and planetary sciences. His research focuses on using numerical simulations to understand how the gas between and around galaxies evolves over time. Devin’s teaching efforts are currently focused on introductory courses in computational modeling and data analysis. In these courses, students learn the basics of Python programming in pursuit of building and interpreting models and manipulating, analyzing, and visualizing data. Devin works to incorporate a wide array of research-based educational practices including interactive learning through flipped classrooms. He is also passionate about promoting equitable and inclusive classroom spaces and raising awareness about potential barriers that prevent student success.

I apply atomic, molecular, & optical physics techniques to answer fundamental questions in nuclear and particle physics. Our group is presently involved in two long term research projects: the development of a single atom microscope for measuring low-yield nuclear reactions relevant for stellar nucleosynthesis and the search for time-reversal symmetry violation using pear-shaped nuclei in atoms and molecules. My teaching projects are to incorporate writing instruction into the senior physics advanced lab course and research-based methods into large lecture courses in order to increase student engagement and active learning.

Uma Swamy is a senior lecturer in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Florida International University, Miami. She coordinates the general chemistry labs and the labs for non-science majors. She has a Master’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Mumbai and a Doctoral degree in Chemistry from Arizona State University. She teaches General Chemistry 1 and 2 and will be teaching Biochemistry in Spring 2018. She uses a flipped classroom approach to ensure students build a mental model before coming to class. Students then work in groups doing POGIL (process oriented guided inquiry learning) style activities in class, facilitated by her and the Learning Assistants (LAs) where they further refine and adjust their mental models. She in very interested in metacognition and is studying how it can be used to promote student learning using both drawing and writing activities. The writing activities include reflective writing on study strategies and resources as well as writing about relevance of course content and its applications. She is also studying factors that contribute to students success in general chemistry and other upper level chemistry courses.

I am an assistant professor of biology at Grand Valley State University. I received my undergraduate degree in biology from The University of Chicago and my PhD in ecology and evolutionary biology from The University of Colorado Boulder. At GVSU my teaching spans introductory courses to the senior capstone. In my courses I work to incorporate a variety of educational practices including inquiry-based lessons, project-based learning, cooperative learning, and flipped classrooms. Many of my courses are writing intensive and I strive to structure the writing assignments in small units to allow enough time for discipline specific writing instruction and multiple drafts.  I enjoy working with undergraduate students on research projects. Recent student projects have focued on furthering our understanding of the interactions that occur between plants and soil microbes at GVSU’s sustainable agriculture project.

Pengpeng Zhang is an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Michigan State University. Her research focuses on understanding the fundamental properties of low-dimensional electronic and photovoltaic materials using scanning probe microscopy in conjunction with device characterization, and furthermore manipulating the properties of these materials and devices via surface and interface engineering. Her teaching at MSU has been focused on introductory physics courses and an upper level Electronics course for Physics majors. Her teaching goal is to build students’ capacity for advanced problem solving.