25 Leaders in Biology Education Named as QUBES Mentors

25 LEADERS IN BIOLOGY EDUCATION NAMED AS QUBES MENTORS

Honored for leading Faculty Mentoring Networks for teaching quantitative biology

JUNE 25, 2020 -- The Quantitative Undergraduate Biology Education and Synthesis (QUBES) Project (http://www.qubeshub.org/), a STEM higher education reform program supported by the National Science Foundation, has named 25 leaders in biology education as QUBES Mentors for the 2019-2020 academic year. Established in 2014, QUBES is dedicated to increasing the effectiveness of undergraduate biology education with a particular focus on including more quantitative concepts and skills.

QUBES hosts semester-long Faculty Mentoring Networks (FMNs), which bring faculty from various disciplines, regions, and institution types in an online peer community to implement new resources and pedagogical approaches within their classrooms for teaching quantitative biology. The mentors are recognized for leading these professional development opportunities, providing expertise, advice, and guidance as the peer group incorporates new educational practices.

According to Jeremy M. Wojdak, PhD, QUBES Director of Professional Development and Professor of Biology at Radford University, “FMNs provide an important bridge between pedagogical theory and classroom practice, providing support and guidance to faculty just when they need it. An effective and dedicated mentor really ensures the success of an FMN.”

QUBES FMN Manager Deborah L. Rook, PhD, added, “these mentors worked hard to guide their faculty participants through development, adaptation, and classroom use of educational materials. Not only that, but the Spring 2020 mentors did so during a global pandemic and very sudden changes in teaching circumstances.”

Beyond the work within their FMNs, several mentors also participated in the online FMN Mentor Groups that worked together through the semester and assisted the QUBES team to improve the faculty development model for the future.

In addition to FMNs, QUBES provides a cyber and social infrastructure supporting the development, use, and adaptation of open educational materials. QUBES emphasizes scholarly teaching practices, including the use of evidence based pedagogies, thoughtful reflection on implementation results, and sharing outcomes with the community as open educational resources.

The Fall 2019 QUBES Mentors are listed below:

• Gaurav Arora, Assistant Professor of Biology, Gallaudet University

FMN: “Genome Solver: Faculty Training in Basic Bioinformatics” (collaboration with Genome Solver)

• Libby Ellwood, Global Communications Manager, iDigBio

FMN: “Fall 2019 BLUE FMN” (collaboration with Biodiversity Literacy in Undergraduate Education and iDigBio)

• Megan A. Jones, Research Scientist in Science Education, National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON)

FMN: “NEON Data Education Fellows” (collaboration with the NEON)

• Jen Klug, Professor of Biology, Fairfield University

FMN: “Project EDDIE: Teaching Quantitative Reasoning and Scientific Concepts with Data” (collaboration with Project EDDIE (Environmental Data-Driven Inquiry and Exploration))

• Erica Krimmel, Digitization Resources Coordinator, iDigBio

FMN: “Fall 2019 BLUE FMN” (collaboration with Biodiversity Literacy in Undergraduate Education and iDigBio)

• Debra Linton, Associate Professor of Biology, Central Michigan University

FMN: “Fall 2019 BLUE FMN” (collaboration with Biodiversity Literacy in Undergraduate Education and iDigBio)

• Vinayak Mathur, Assistant Professor of Biology, Cabrini University

FMN: “Genome Solver: Faculty Training in Basic Bioinformatics” (collaboration with Genome Solver)

• Anna Monfils, Professor of Biology and Director of the Herbarium, Central Michigan University

FMN: “Fall 2019 BLUE FMN” (collaboration with Biodiversity Literacy in Undergraduate Education and iDigBio)

• Paige Parry, Assistant Professor of Biology, George Fox University

FMN: “Teaching with R in Undergraduate Biology”

• Molly Phillips, Education, Outreach, Diversity, & Inclusion Coordinator, iDigBio

FMN: “Fall 2019 BLUE FMN” (collaboration with Biodiversity Literacy in Undergraduate Education and iDigBio)

• Anne Rosenwald, Professor of Biology, Georgetown University

FMN: “Genome Solver: Faculty Training in Basic Bioinformatics” (collaboration with Genome Solver)

• Steven Railsback, Lang, Railsback and Associates

FMN: “Agent/Individual-Based Modeling 2019”

• John Starnes, Associate Professor of Biology, Somerset Community College

FMN: “Project EDDIE: Teaching Quantitative Reasoning and Scientific Concepts with Data” (collaboration with Project EDDIE (Environmental Data-Driven Inquiry and Exploration))