Members of EBIO take part in an exciting new effort to make teaching more inclusive.
Project Biodiversify is an online repository of teaching materials and methods aimed at increasing the diversity of biologists highlighted in lectures, humanizing biologists, and making biology classrooms inclusive to students of all backgrounds (https://projectbiodiversify.org/). Members of the EBIO Department have embraced this effort by providing teaching materials and becoming visible contributing members of this important initiative (e.g., https://projectbiodiversify.org/2019/07/10/scott-taylor-2/).
Teaching materials: To facilitate easy inclusion of a diverse set of biologists into classrooms lectures worldwide, we are constructing a database of teaching slides and notes based on the research and life experiences of biologists that self-identify as part of underrepresented group(s) in biology (https://projectbiodiversify.org/materials/). We are seeking submissions! To share your research and life experiences and become a role model, please consider submitting (https://projectbiodiversify.org/contribute/). Our goal is to build a repository of teaching slides based on research by biologists from all backgrounds that highlights research spanning the full introductory biology curriculum.
Teaching methods: To increase the inclusivity of biology classroom environments, we are developing a repository of teaching methods and approaches that train educators in inclusive teaching practices, thereby increasing student success, recruitment, and retention via inclusivity. Our first effort is working to inform biology educators how to approach teaching sex- and gender-related topics in biology in an inclusive and accurate manner (https://projectbiodiversify.org/definitions/). We hope to build on these efforts in the future to focus on other axes of identity as well, and are always open to collaboration.
Project Biodiversify was founded by:
Marjorie Weber
Assistant Professor
Department of Plant Biology
Michigan State University
she/her/hers
Ash Zemenick
NSF Postdoctoral Researcher
Department of Plant Biology
Michigan State University
they/them or he/him
Alex Webster
Postdoctoral Researcher
Institute of Arctic Biology
University of Alaska, Fairbanks
she/her/hers
Sarah Jones
PhD Candidate
Department of Integrative Biology
Michigan State University
she/her/hers
