3 finalists named to head cross-college biology

Three finalists have been named as candidates to direct the Institute for Cross-College Biology Education, an organization formed last November to serve as an umbrella for undergraduate biology programs and majors that span more than one school or college.

An internal search-and-screen committee consisting of nine members, including one student, and led by Department of Landscape Architecture professor and chair Evelyn Howell has presented the list of finalists to Provost Peter Spear.

The finalists are:

Robert Goodman, professor of plant pathology and the Institute for Environmental Studies. A member of the UW–Madison community since 1991, Goodman has taught a number of introductory biology courses, including a botany class designed for non-majors. He has chaired the undergraduate molecular biology major since 1994. Before coming to UW–Madison, Goodman served as the executive vice president for research and development at Calgene Inc., a crop biotechnology company in California.

David Nelson, director of the Center for Biology Education and professor of biochemistry. A faculty member at UW–Madison since 1971, Nelson has divided his time equally between research and undergraduate teaching, often bringing the two together in the laboratory environment. He has been a member of the Teaching Academy since 1994 and served on the steering committee for the honors biology program from 1980 to 1991. In 1991, he took an unpaid leave of absence to teach biology and chemistry at Spelman College, an African-American women’s college in Atlanta.

Thomas Sharkey, director of the Biotron. Sharkey came to UW–Madison as an assistant professor of botany in 1987. He chaired the Undergraduate Biology Education Committee from 1992 to 1996, served as co-chair of the intercollege biology major from 1999 to 2003 and co-chaired the Administrative Council for Academic Advising from 1997 to 1999. He has taught introductory biology and botany courses, and has written chapters for introductory biology textbooks.

“This is an outstanding group of candidates,” says Spear. “Each has been involved in cross-campus biology education for many years, is committed to the vision and mission of the ICBE and has great ideas for how to move ICBE forward.”

ICBE, led by the new director, oversees and coordinates the four-semester honors biology sequence, called the Biology Core Curriculum, or Biocore; the Zoology/ Botany 151 and 152 introductory courses; the majors of biology, molecular biology and biological aspects of conservation; and the current Center for Biology Education.

“This is a critically important position for the future of undergraduate biology education on our campus,” says Spear. “The director of ICBE will serve as a catalyst in working with school and college deans, department chairs, faculty, staff and students to advance cross-college biology courses, majors, innovative pedagogy and outreach.”