I am involved with several organizations that are dedicated to improving science education, to disseminating the results of innovative approaches to teaching biology, and to promoting research at predominantly undergraduate institutions.
I serve on the National Steering Committee of Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL), which was begun in 1989 to study what approaches to undergraduate science education were most effective. Their landmark study "What Works: Building Natural Science Communities" helped to transform the teaching of science at many institutions. PKAL has developed a series of resources to support faculty and administrators who seek to offer students the most effective science education, and to provide guidance on how institutions should be structured to promote this goal. PKAL offers workshops on how to build science facilities that promote active learning, on effectively teaching various disciplines, and "Leadership Institutes" to help train future leaders in educational innovation. Most of these resources are freely available at the PKAL website, as are schedules for upcoming conferences and workshops. I have been active in PKAL since 1991, helping to plan its activities, organize conferences, and mentor participants in the Leadership Institutes.
I currently serve as Associate Editor of Cell Biology Education (CBE), a refereed electronic publication of the American Society for Cell Biology. CBE provides a forum for the dissemination of innovative approaches to teaching all types of biology (not only cell biology) from the secondary through undergraduate levels. All articles are freely available for downloading from its website.
I have been actively engaged with the Council for Undergraduate Research (CUR) since 1988. CUR's mission is to support and encourage research at undergraduate institutions, both because of the benefits to faculty of remaining intellectually engaged with their disciplines and the benefits to students of learning science by actively doing research. CUR promotes research by holding biennial conference where faculty and administrators can exchange ideas about how to sustain active research programs, by holding periodic workshops on fundraising and similar topics, by publications including a quarterly newsletter, and by lobbying Federal and private funding agencies to increase their support of undergraduate research. I was one of the first Councillors of the (then) new Biology Division from 1989-94, chaired the Constitution and ByLaws committee, and have remained active as the CUR liaison for Lewis & Clark College.
Through PKAL and CUR, I have been active as a consultant and reviewer of biology departments and science programs around the country.
Created by Gary Reiness