Audrey Ragsac, Ph.D.'s Linkedin Analytics

I am a practitioner of evidence-based active learning and anti-racist teaching approaches to 1) teach biology effectively and 2) achieve equity in biology education. As an educator, I care first and foremost about the student experience. I do my best to create learning environments that welcome student interaction and group work, facilitating not only student connection to the material, but to each other. I have led a variety of classrooms, from lab sections of 24 students to lectures of 120 students. As a course coordinator for a large introductory biology course, I have trained teaching teams of 20 + graduate students and professional educators. I have also been lucky to work closely with some incredible UW Seattle faculty, who inspire, inform, and support my growth as a teacher. My background is in plant biology. Earning my PhD in the Olmstead Lab at UW Biology transformed me into an expert on the flora of the Pacific Northwest. So far, I have taught Plant Identification at UW Seattle five times. Over the years, I have become increasingly fluent in plant identification and plant collection across the state of Washington. Being able to explore the landscapes of Washington State and grow my connection with nature as part of my job has been an enormous privilege. My main goal for the future is to broaden my teaching abilities. Recently, I have worked to teach courses on infectious disease for both the Honors and Biology departments. I have also worked with students new to biology, developing and strengthening their scientific thinking, learning, and writing skills. Each new teaching experience pushes me to try out new approaches to active learning and anti-racism. Ultimately, I am always striving to improve the student experience by building stronger connections and creating the momentum necessary for students to set and achieve their goals. Check out my PhD research: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=_vzQsPUAAAAJ&hl=en