For Pu Wang, the classroom represents opportunity. Walking into an active learning classroom in Bruininks Hall with white round tables and large tv screens not only looks like a place of discovery and learning, but also offers Wang the space to hopefully spark a fascination with biology for her students.
“I am amazed by students' curiosity and creativity,” Wang says. “That is one of the main reasons I love teaching is that I always get inspired by students’ ideas and comments. I really look forward to interacting with them and sharing my passion for biology.”
As a new teaching assistant professor in Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, Wang will focus her efforts on sparking that interest in biology with students in a place that’s familiar. She completed her Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in 2021. Her graduate work and current research efforts focus on exploring the origins of life.
“I want to know more about what drives the diversity on our planet,” says Wang. “How does life develop innovations? From an ecological and evolutionary perspective, I conduct experimental evolution with microbial communities in the laboratory.”
Despite her research focus on the origins of life, Wang can take similar principles to students in her classes. While teaching Genetics I and Foundations of Biology, she aims to build connections for students from her research and work to key concepts in biology.
“I have designed engaging teaching modules involving these microbial systems, with the goal to help students understand biological concepts in an interactive manner,” Wang says. “A very cool feature of these modules is the ability to demonstrate the process of evolution in real-time.”
For example, she established a predator-prey microbial microcosm, in which the prey’s phenotypic changes are easily observed within just two weeks! “I think it is fulfilling to be able to apply my research findings in the everyday classroom. I am particularly excited about using these modules to enhance students’ observation skills, cultivate their fascination with biology, and provide practical insights into scientific methodology.”
Wang is no neophyte in the classroom. After completing her graduate degree, she taught at Grinnell College in Iowa and St. John’s College in Minnesota. Those experiences helped shape her goal as an educator to inspire the next generation of biologists by making her classes as engaging as possible.
“My main challenge is to balance my lecture time and students’ activity time,” she says. “I want to make sure every activity is meaningful and students can stay engaged throughout the entire course period.” — Lance Janssen