[JULY 1, 2021] -- The Quantitative Undergraduate Biology Education and Synthesis (QUBES) Project, a STEM higher education reform program supported by the National Science Foundation, is honoring leaders in biology education as QUBES Mentors for their work during the 2020-2021 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 innovative resources and pedagogical approaches within their classrooms.

The mentors were chosen to lead these professional development opportunities, providing expertise, advice, and guidance as the peer group incorporates new educational practices. In doing so, our mentors have made significant contributions to STEM education, the professional growth of their peers, and to creating a vibrant, scholarly, innovative community around STEM education reform.  

“These mentors worked hard to guide their faculty participants through development, adaptation, and classroom use of educational materials,” said QUBES Professional Development Manager Deborah L. Rook, PhD. “They were able to bring people together to form meaningful online communities committed to improving the experiences of their students.”

“[Our mentor brought] energy and creativity to our little collaborative group each week,” said one FMN participant. “She helped us build connections within our group and to others. I feel heartened and inspired each time I leave our meetings, and it's mostly because of the shared spirit of the group.”

Another participant said their mentors “did an amazing job developing, organizing, and facilitating an FMN when the community needed it most [...] I am forever grateful for their time, efforts, and quiet support during one of the most difficult years for teaching.”

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.

The 2020-2021 QUBES Mentors are:

Laurel Anderson, Ohio Wesleyan University

Tim McCay, Colgate University

Shuchismita Dutta, Rutgers University

Suann Yang, SUNY at Geneseo

Anne Rosenwald, Georgetown University

John Starnes, Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College

Tamara Basham, Collin County Community College District

Pat Marstellar, Emory University

Sarah Prescott, University of New Hampshire

Rachel Hartnett, Oklahoma State University

William Morgan, College of Wooster

Barbara Murdoch, Eastern Connecticut University

Jacob Kerby, University of South Dakota

Andrew Haveles, University of Wisconsin - River Falls

Davida Smyth, Texas A&M University, San Antonio

Karen Oates, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Wilson Leung, Washington University in St. Louis

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About QUBES
QUBES (Quantitative Undergraduate Biology Education and Synthesis) is a virtual synthesis center supported by the National Science Foundation with a primary goal of increasing the effectiveness of undergraduate biology education nationwide and a particular focus on including more quantitative concepts and skills. Launched in 2014, QUBES now provides logistical, intellectual, and community support for innovative quantitative biology education projects and the extended community of instructors seeking resources. QUBES is a collaboration among educational leaders at BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium, Bates College, the College of William & Mary, North Carolina State University, Radford University, and the University of Pittsburgh.
www.qubeshub.org  |  Twitter: @qubeshub  |  Facebook: @qubeshub
Contacts:  
Deb Rook, deb.rook "at" bioquest "dot" org