Pedagogy Research
As a Professor of Teaching, I am deeply interested in studying science pedagogy and methods of increasing
student engagement and instructional effectiveness. My pedagogical research uses a combination of
qualitative and quantitative methods to understand effective teaching and mentorship.
Active learning as a method to increase student engagement:
Active learning engages students in the learning process through activities, discussion, and collaboration. This student-centered approach has been shown to be effective in encouraging a sense of belonging in STEM, and is important to their achievement and persistence in college courses. We are interested in studying the effectiveness of active learning on microbiology courses and developing new pedagogical methods to increase student participation and motivation.
Research mentorship:
Undergraduate students often conduct faculty-mentored research during their time in college. Students who participate in research often show increased academic success, persistence, and a sense of belonging to the greater STEM community. We are interested in understanding how undergraduate research students are mentored at minority serving institutions (MSIs) and how these research experiences positively impact their experiences in college.
Bioinformatics and teaching the microbiome:
Undergraduate and graduate students often use bioinformatics for data analysis both in the classroom and as part of faculty-mentored research. Biologists with computational training have a distinct advantage in obtaining employment in a variety of fields after graduation, but many students struggle with bioinformatics for a variety of reasons. Our research seeks to understand how to best engage and effectively instruct students through individualized or course-based bioinformatics training, specifically in the microbiome field.