Mark Sarvary - Principal Investigator Dr. Sarvary is the director of the Cornell Investigative Biology Teaching Laboratories and a discipline-based education researcher. His main focus is developing and assessing evidence-based and student-centered pedagogical methods that further science communication and biology laboratory education. The most recent education research projects under his leadership address challenges in post-pandemic higher education, improve science literacy and science communication education, and enhance undergraduate and graduate teaching assistant training. Google Scholar OrchidID Email: mas245@cornell.edu
Joseph Ruesch - Education Research Postdoc Dr. Ruesch is a postdoctoral research associate in biology education and the co-instructor of the biology laboratory course. As a former teaching assistant for the course, his significant experience working with our course is a huge asset and informs his practical approach to evidence-based pedagogy. His main focus is improving training programs for undergraduate and graduate teaching assistants and developing pedagogical innovations that give his students more agency. Google Scholar Orchid ID Email: jmr495@cornell.edu
Discipline-Based Education Alumni
Frank Castelli - Education Postdoc ’19 - ‘22 Dr. Castelli was an education research postdoctoral associate, supported by the CALS Active Learning Initiative. As a co-instructor of the biology laboratory course, he developed and assessed new pedagogical methods, especially focusing on undergraduate and graduate teaching. During the transition to emergency remote instruction, he developed equitable and inclusive ways to encourage online learning. Currently, he is an instructor at Georgia State University, continuing the training of graduate teaching assistants.
Mitra Asgari - Education Postdoc ’19 - ‘22 Dr. Asgari was an education research postdoc who co-taught the biology laboratory course and trained undergraduate and graduate teaching assistants to use evidence-based pedagogical methods in active-learning-focused classrooms. Her research covered student group formation methods and large classroom instructor assessments. Currently, she is an Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of Missouri.
Sol Lisboa - Ph.D. Student ’17 - ‘23 Sol Lisboa was a graduate student education researcher who focused on instructor assessment in large, active-learning-focused classrooms. Currently, Dr. Lisboa is a Postdoctoral Fellow at CONICET (National Scientific and Technical Research Council—Argentina).
Asha Miles - Ph.D. Student ’16 - ‘18 Asha Miles was a graduate student education researcher who focused on instructor assessment in large, active-learning-focused classrooms. She is currently a research geneticist at the US Department of Agriculture.
Megan-Biango Daniels - Ph.D. Student ’15 - ‘17 Megan-Biango Daniels studied how academic experience impacts scientific writing and ability to provide quality peer-review. Currently, she is the Principal Scientist of microbiology at Mori, responsible for spearheading the definition of research strategy, overseeing microbiology research, and driving development.
Kirsten Coe - Education Postdoc ’14 - ‘15 Dr. Coe was a biology education researcher who focused on testing the learning objective that students will be able to apply course material to increasingly novel and complex situations. She is currently a plant science researcher at Middlebury College.