Dr. Christopher Parker, an assistant professor in the biology department, has been chosen as one of 20 biology educators from across the nation to participate in an assessment residency as part of the Biology Scholars Program.

The program, initially started by the American Society for Microbiology with the help of a grant from the National Science Foundation, has grown to include educators at the college and university level that teach various biology courses such as microbiology, anatomy and physiology, cell biology, immunology and genetics. 

The purpose of the program is to improve biology education and to better prepare students for the future by using teaching techniques that are more effective than the traditional lecture-based method that has been the norm in the past.

As part of the year-long residency, Dr. Parker will learn effective teaching and assessment strategies for use in his biology classes, while also becoming a resource for other Texas Wesleyan University professors interested in breaking away from lecture-based teaching.