Research
Our Research
Advancing evidence-based understanding of how biology is taught and learned.
Biology Education at the Frontier of Teaching and Technology
The ENGAGENE Education Lab conducts Biology Education Research (BER) — the empirical study of how biology is taught and learned. We use qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches to investigate the conditions that support student success, the design of inclusive learning environments, and the development of educators who can teach effectively and equitably.
Inclusive & Equitable STEM Learning
We investigate how course design, learning environments, and institutional programs can promote equitable student success in undergraduate biology, focusing on access, engagement, and belonging for students from all backgrounds. This includes work on the structural factors that shape who thrives in biology. Our goal is to produce evidence that helps institutions move from aspiration to action.
Educational Technology & Learning Design
Technology is powerful in education when it is used intentionally. We investigate how digital learning tools, from interactive courseware to AI-assisted platforms, can be designed and implemented to enhance engagement and deepen understanding in biology. We study both the promise and the limits of educational technology, always asking whether it genuinely supports learning for the students who need it most.
Developing Future Science Educators
Improving biology education in the long run requires investing in the people who will teach it. We investigate how structured pedagogical training, mentorship, and reflective practice can transform graduate students into skilled, evidence-based educators. This work is carried out through our research on the FUSE Graduate Unit Certificate Program and through broader investigations of teaching identity and professional development.
AI Literacy in Higher Education
As AI tools become embedded in academic and professional environments, we investigate how students develop AI literacy — understanding, evaluating, and using AI tools responsibly in scientific contexts, and how instructors can scaffold AI literacy as a genuine learning outcome in undergraduate biology courses.