Tonight, I watched Stanley Maloy, Editor-in-Chief of JMBE, host a conversation at ASM Microbe 2022 in DC. This was a conversation with four ASM Carski Award winners: Nancy Boury, David Westenberg, Mark Martin, Loretta Brancaccio-Taras, about their insights into excellence in undergraduate teaching. Westenberg spoke about about student success as part of the reason why he won the award. Boury noted that timing helped: she developed a course on outbreaks in 2019! Martin explained how he engages students with enthusiasm. Brancaccio-Taras explained she has been supporting instructors at community colleges at her institution and nationwide. Boury mentioned the Promoting Active Learning Network (PALM) and mentoring efforts to talk about and practice education. Westenberg remembered the Biology Scholars Program and learning about assessments. Brancaccio-Taras spoke about how publications and research were needed for promotion at her institution and how she met educators and developed a professional development network. Maloy noted that JMBE benefits faculty by providing options to share teaching practices and student learning resources. Martin spoke about working with student “micronauts” and being genuinely passionate about the topics. Boury explained how they developed a health and pandemics course before the COVID pandemic. Westenberg spoke about the public outreach component of his work. He has been working with teachers and communities for years! Westenberg has worked with science and engineering students and the public on the National Mall. Brancaccio-Taras recommended following your interests and starting with questions from the courses you teach. Martin shared how he engages students with relatable microbiology practices and experiments. Boury spoke about how JMBE and how editors help mentor and support educational researchers. Westenberg encouraged people to seek mentors and find questions to ask.
