Organization
Pennsylvania State University
Lauren C. McCarthy
Profile
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Biography
I am an Assistant Teaching Professor of Biology at Pennsylvania State University - University Park campus. I help teach lecture and coordinate labs for the large introductory biology course, taken primarily by first year students. I also teach a pedagogy course for our learning assistant program. In the summer, I teach a newly designed course on diversity in STEMM.
I’m relatively new to Penn State, since I started in the fall of 2019. I am happy to be back in PA though, since I was born and raised in Lancaster county. I obtained my BS in Biology from West Chester University in PA, my MS degree in Marine Biology from Nova Southeastern University – Oceanographic Center in FL, and my PhD in Interdisciplinary Biology (aquatic ecology focus) from East Carolina University in NC. I’ve taught both small and large course sizes at ECU, Radford University, and now PSU.
I’ve always enjoyed interacting with students and am thrilled to now work with Penn State students. My teaching goal for student success is for students to be able to think critically in order to understand and work through tough conceptual ideas pertinent to biology and ecology. Through the development of learning and metacognitive skills, I strive to help students reach their course goals and prepare them for the next step in their academic careers. One of my other core teaching goals is to engage students and keep them ever curious with current topics that involve our interactions with the natural world.
During my free time, I’ve been exploring the beautiful natural areas that surround PSU, with my partner Matt. We love to hike, paddle in our canoe, make pottery, travel to National Parks, paint, learn all things natural history, take photos, and enjoy life with family and friends!