Editor Degrees:

• B.S.  in Mathematics and Mathematical Biology, Beloit College
• Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California – Berkeley

About Teaching and CourseSource

I have been teaching biology at the undergraduate level for thirteen years. Two following two questions guide my thinking about teaching

• What does it mean to be a biologist in the 21st century?
• How do I prepare my students to become scientists and leaders in the evolving, expanding field of biological science?

The discipline of biology is expanding rapidly, with new molecular and genomic data being generated at an increasing rate. Boundaries between areas such as molecular biology, genetics and biochemistry are becoming blurred, and interdisciplinary research combining biology with chemistry, physics, mathematics and computational science is becoming a norm at leading research centers. Phrases such as the “human microbiome genomics” and “CRISPR technology” which did not even exist while I was in graduate school, are now regularly found in some of the most exciting new research papers. Clearly, the discipline is constantly evolving – and it is my responsibility to keep my teaching up to date and engaging to my students.

I have particularly enjoyed designing, developing and and teaching my bioinformatics course. Bioinformatics is absolutely essential for biology of the 21st century.  The rapid development of the field makes it almost impossible to rely on textbooks in teaching. Current, engaging teaching modules, such as those found in CourseSource, are crucial for bioinformatics teaching. The need for new teaching materials is bioinformatics is overwhelming, and I am really excited to help bioinformatics educators disseminate new and exciting teaching materials through CourseSource.