Education research has shown conclusively that undergraduates learn and retain more with active learning. In this interactive seminar, I will share with you some of the different ways I use evidence-based active and inclusive learning strategies to help students learn scientific concepts, to develop their critical thinking skills, and to create equitable and inclusive learning environments in classrooms small and large.

During development, neural stem cells (NSCs) generate diverse cell types that self-assemble to form neural circuits regulating distinct behaviors. How neural cell types are specified and assembled into neural circuits is poorly understood.

We are working to accomplish for cells something like what a shepherd and sheepdogs bring to flocks of sheep: control over large-scale collective cellular motion. As coordinated cellular motion is foundational to many forms of multicellular life, being able to ‘herd’ or program large-scale cell migration raises exciting possibilities for accelerated healing, tissue engineering, and novel biomaterials.

Success in life, for humans and all animals, requires multitasking. Multitasking — the simultaneous execution of two or more behaviors by a single agent — may at times seem effortless and safe, such as walking and talking, or challenging and potentially fatal, such as driving and texting. Performance differences between different multitasking contexts are likely reflected in the cognitive demands of the constituent behaviors, yet the neural substrates that facilitate or constrain multitasking remain unknown.

By sharing my experiences and perspectives as a teaching professor, I hope to contribute to the ongoing demystification of the diverse pathways taken by teaching professors as they contribute to our shared missions of teaching, service, and scholarship. During this interactive presentation, we will have opportunities to reflect on and discuss strategies for building community, engaging learners, and improving equity, both in the classroom and beyond the classroom.