Judy Schoonmaker

Teaching Associate Professor

BS - Honors Biology, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana
PhD - Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Post-Doctoral Study - UCLA Brain Research Center

Instruction Focus

I have a life-long interest in all things “biology”, ranging from regeneration in planaria and salamanders to sexual differentiation of the brain, preterm rupture of fetal membranes and the control of the primate ovarian cycle. I have shared my passion for biology with students of all ages for the past twenty years, from preschool to high school. Joining the BELS program at Mines gives me an opportunity to develop courses that focus on the intersection between biology and engineering. In the context of these courses, I will explore pedagogical techniques for lecture-format classes that will help me capture and retain student interest and foster creativity in solving problems. I plan to develop formative and summative assessment techniques that move beyond the basic facts to evaluate understanding and develop critical thinking skills.