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Biology Professors to Share Assessment Strategies at Faires Faculty Forum

Posted on Friday, February 10, 2012

Dr. Joseph Balczon, Dr. Joshua Corrette-Bennett, and Dr. John Robertson, Westminster College associate professors of biology, will present "CSI Miami: Curricular Strategies and Inculcation (of Assessment-Driven Revision) in South Beach" at Faires Faculty Forum Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 11:40 a.m. in the McKelvey Campus Center's Sebastian Mueller Theater.

The trio attended a conference, "Engaged STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Learning: From Promising to Pervasive Practices," sponsored jointly by Project Kaleidoscope and the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U).  They presented "Assessment-Driven Revision of a Biology Curriculum," a poster detailing their department's use of different assessment forms for evaluation and revision of programs.

They will explain how various assessment tools were used to revise the department's capstone experience and describe how these revisions tie in with AAC&U's Project LEAP (Liberal Education and America's Promise).

Balczon, who has been with Westminster since 1997, earned an undergraduate degree from The Pennsylvania State University at Erie, Behrend College and master's degree and Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University.

Corrette-Bennett, who joined the faculty in 2001, serves as chair of Westminster's Department of Biology.  He earned an undergraduate degree from Bates College and Ph.D. from Brandeis University.

Robertson, who has been with Westminster since 2000, earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts, master's degree from the University of Rhode Island, and Ph.D. from Arizona State University. 

Contact Westminster's Department of Biology at (724) 946-7206 for additional information. 

Faculty Forum was established in 1990 by Dr. Barbara Faires, Westminster professor of mathematics emerita, during her term as Dean of the College and Vice President for Academic Affairs.  Faculty members from all disciplines volunteer to present lectures on their current research, artistic productions, and/or scholarship of teaching and learning.  Each forum presents new ideas with innovative lecture techniques.

Dr. Joseph Balczon
Dr. Joshua Corrette-Bennett
Dr. John Robertson