Speaker
Brian Merkel
Brian Merkel has been with UW-Green Bay for 25 years. He is the department chair of Human Biology with an appointment in the department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. In 1984 he received a bone marrow transplant at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center while in relapse from acute myeloid leukemia (90% mortality). His survival is a living testament to the value of science and medicine. His professional life at UW-Green Bay continues to provide countless opportunities to inspire and prepare the next generation of scientists and healthcare professionals as an outlet for his passion to pay this gift forward.
Topic: Benefits of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CURES)
Join us for a conversation with Dr. Brian Merkel about course-based undergraduate research experiences (CURES). Although traditionally embedded in laboratory courses in science, technology, engineering and math courses (STEM), course-based undergraduate research experiences (CURES) are offered by a wide variety of academic programs, including social sciences, humanities, and business to increase equity, diversity and inclusion, while improving learning outcomes for student learners as well as opportunities for faculty to integrate teaching and scholarship. A quote (below) from a recent paper on the role of CUREs in STEM curricula is a call to action for institutions, academic leaders and instructors to address deficits in classroom instruction, highlighting CUREs as a pedagogical linchpin for achieving these goals in a variety of academic programs.
“Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CURES), are a form of active learning that offers a scalable way for all students to obtain research experience in college, thereby leveling the playing field and closing the gap for students from historically excluded communities (HECs). Not only do CURES provide access and opportunity for students from HECs, but empower educators by looking to inspire and educate students more effectively by focusing more on the classroom and less on "fixing" students.”
- J. Handelsman et al., Science 376,6597 (2022).
Come learn more about CURES in the classroom or how you could help support CURES in your position on campus.
Sign-Up
- Registration for April Inclusive Reads & ConversationsUse this link to sign-up for the November Inclusive Reads & Conversations event. After signing up you will receive an Outlook calendar invitation with a link to join the event.
Accommodations
If you need an accommodation to attend this event, please contact Sarah Bakken at bakkens@uwgb.edu or 920-465-2666. All accommodation requests should be made no less than two weeks before the event. We will attempt to fulfill requests made after this date, but cannot guarantee they will be met
Access This Month's Reading
- "Achieving STEM diversity: Fix the classrooms:Outdated teaching methods amount to discrimination."By Jo Handelsman, Sarah Elgin, Mica Estrada, Shan Hays, Tracy Johnson, Sarah Miller, Vida Mingo, Christopher, Shaffer,Jason Williams. From Science.
Discussion Questions
- Do any of the data reported in this paper surprise you? If so, please discuss.
- Have you had experiences in your professional lives in support of the data and/or conclusions shared in this paper (e.g., challenges to student recruitment, retention, equity, diversity, success?). Please share them.
- What challenges do you and/or your program face to offer curricula (e.g., CUREs) that are conducive to increasing equity, diversity, inclusion, student success.
- Please describe a professional observation or experience in which access to or awareness of resources impacted student success (e.g., participation in independent study, admission to a competitive program, etc).
- Discuss any professional experience or opinion related to the “fix” the student versus fix the classroom mindset?