Editor Degrees:

• Ph.D. in Genetics from Carnegie Mellon University

About Teaching and CourseSource

Jim Burnette is an Academic Coordinator, Professional Researcher, and Lecturer at the University of California, Riverside. He has 20 years’ experience developing and teaching laboratory courses. He received a Ph.D. in Genetics from Carnegie Mellon University. After completing a postdoc at the University of Virginia he returned to Carnegie Mellon as an Assistant Teaching Professor for lab courses and mentor summer research students. In 2008 Jim moved to the University of Georgia (his alma mater) to develop and teach a CURE and developed a high school genetics course. Jim became the Director of the Dynamic Genome (DG) program at UCR in 2010.

At UCR, Jim developed and teaches BIOL020, a CURE for over 500 first-year students/year, where students experience the process of science while contributing useful data to research labs on campus. BIOL020 fulfills the lab credit for Introductory Biology. The DG program also includes outreach to K-16 students in the Inland Empire community where students conduct experiments on campus or in their classrooms. Finally, Jim offers a SURE each summer during which UCR students do research and complete a team project focused on agribusiness.

Jim is passionate about exciting students in pursuing science degrees and careers by providing meaningful and engaging lab experiences in the first year of college. The goal is to help break imposter syndrome and stereotype threat issues the diverse UCR students face, and students will choose to pursue rewarding careers in science professions.

Jim is married to CourseSource Editor Katie Burnette. They live in Riverside, CA with their three cats: Sir Puck, Lady Jane, & Izzy.