Jessie Arneson
Research Associate
School of Molecular Biosciences
Dr. Arneson is a STEM education researcher with training and experience teaching undergraduate and graduate students in biochemistry, genetics, micro- and molecular biology. She was one of the first STEM education researchers to receive an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and has since presented and published work on visual literacy, student cognition, and assessment in the molecular life sciences. For nearly 10 years, Dr. Arneson has mentored REU students in how to analyze, interpret, and present scientific data.
Andy Cavagnetto
Associate Professor
Department of Teaching and Learning, School of Biological Sciences
Dr. Cavagnetto studies classroom interactions in biology learning contexts. He specializes in supporting data interpretation and argumentation from evidence in introductory biology labs and lectures at the university level. Cavagnetto has published several articles in top educational research journals and extensive experience mentoring undergraduate students in his lab, typically supporting two to four undergraduate students per semester. These students present at the WSU undergraduate research symposium and some have presented at national science education conferences. Cavagnetto is currently writing up a recent study with two undergraduate mentees. He also serves as an advisor and faculty mentor for pre-service science teachers.
Erica Crespi
Associate Professor
School of Biological Sciences
Dr. Crespi is an NSF and NIH-funded biologist who is involved in the development of active learning and inquiry-based curriculum in the biological sciences in both large university and small liberal arts undergraduate environments. This work has been funded by the Teagle Foundation, Society for Developmental Biology, and a Smith Teaching and Learning Award at WSU. Dr. Crespi has engaged more than 60 undergraduate students in independent research projects and hundreds of students conducting research in her animal physiology and development courses. Many of these undergraduates have presented at regional and international conferences, received awards, are co-authors on published scientific papers, and have entered graduate or professional school in the sciences. She is a member of the WSU Teaching Academy and the Academic Outreach and Innovation community.
Anya Guy
Assistant Professor
Department of Physics
Dr. Anya Guy’s primary work is implementing research-based instructional practices in undergraduate physics courses. Currently, she is developing an undergraduate Learning Assistant Program to support the implementation of active-learning curriculum in WSU’s large enrollment introductory physics courses and revamping the Physics and Your World (Physics 150) course to better meet the needs of WSU students working towards their elementary education and middle science teaching endorsements.
Molly Kelton
Assistant Professor
Department of Teaching and Learning
Dr. Kelton is a STEM education researcher in WSU’s College of Education. Dr. Kelton has conducted research on undergraduate STEM persistence and retention, and brings key expertise in all three of RISE’s focal research strands. Her research focuses on building interdisciplinary partnerships across formal, informal, and community organizations to design and study expansive, equitable, and culturally relevant STEM learning environments across the lifespan. Dr. Kelton has mentored several undergraduate students through honors-level research projects in STEM education, and was selected as a WSU Community Engagement Faculty Fellow for her work integrating service learning into her undergraduate courses in mathematics education.
Erika Offerdahl
Professor
School of Molecular Biosciences
Dr. Offerdahl has an enduring interest in improving undergraduate STEM learning. Her research focuses on classroom assessment in STEM, visual literacy in the molecular life sciences, and scientific argumentation. Over the past 10 years, she has mentored and trained 20 undergraduate students (four as co-authors on peer-reviewed manuscripts, 14 on conference presentations). These students have continued on to graduate school in STEM, K-12 STEM teaching positions, medical and dental school, and the biotechnology industry. Two have received a prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.
