Webinar - Using Activities to Enhance Engagement, Promote Learning, and Teach Immunology

Friday April 9^th 2pm EST/1pm CST/11am PST

Organizer: Mallary Wacker

Panelists: Mallary Wacker, Adam Kleinschmit, and William Falkner

Description: Join our panelists as they describe activities, games and icebreakers they use to engage students and reinforce concepts in immunology.  Materials for learning activities that are discussed will be provided for those interested in incorporating it into their own classroom.

Registration is open to society members and those interested in this topic.  Spread the word!

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Can't join the live event? The archived video will be posted after the live event for on-demand viewing for society members.

Meet the Panelists:

William Falkner, MS, PhD student, Department of Biology, North Dakota State University, email: [email protected]

Wil Falkner is a PhD student in the Department of Biological Sciences at North Dakota State University. Wil completed his B.S. degree at Central Michigan University and majored in Education with a special focus on Integrated Science and Biology. He then stayed at Central Michigan University to earn an MS degree. Working with Dr. Deborah Linton, Wil focused on increasing student engagement using gamified teaching methods. In the classroom, Wil has taught a variety of science courses focused on nonmajors, and been recognized for teaching excellence, receiving a teaching award from the CMU Biology Department. His current research interests include gamification, developing scientific literacy, nonmajor STEM education, and engaging nonmajor students in course-based research experiences.

Adam Kleinschmit, PhD, Associate Professor of Biology, University of Dubuque, email: [email protected]

Dr. Adam Kleinschmit is an Associate Professor of Biology in the Department of Natural and Applied Sciences at the University of Dubuque, which is a private liberal arts college located in Dubuque, IA. Adam earned a Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, while holding a B.S. in Genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In the classroom, Adam teaches a variety of undergraduate courses within Cellular and Molecular Biology including Cell Biology, Microbiology, and Immunology. Outside the classroom, Adam’s academic passions include engaging undergraduates in independent research as well as contributing toward the transformation of undergraduate biology education through curricular innovations, development of course-based research experiences, and educational research. 

Mallary Greenlee-Wacker, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biology, Central Michigan University, email: [email protected]

Mallary Greenlee-Wacker is an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at Central Michigan University. Mallary obtained her B.S. from University of California, Irvine, earned her PhD from the University of Notre Dame, and then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Inflammation Program at the University of Iowa. Mallary is genuinely passionate about undergraduate education and research. She teaches courses in cell biology and immunology, and she uses active learning strategies to increase understanding, engagement, and retention. Mallary has mentored over 20 undergraduates to date, and her lab, which focuses on neutrophil-derived extracellular vesicles, is currently supported by an NIH AREA/R15 grant. She has also developed a research symposium for undergraduates at CMU, and she is the undergraduate research coordinator for the Midwest Autumn Immunology Conference. Ultimately, as a mentor and instructor, she hopes to cultivate a long-lasting interest in learning, science, and immunology.