March 5, 2020
Mesa Biology Professor Dr. Daniela Bruckman Assists in Lab Redesign
Dr. Daniela Bruckman
By Office of Communications
As a new full-time hire in the Biology Department, Professor Daniela Bruckman is bringing
fresh eyes to the general biology curriculum. When she taught Biology 210B: Introduction
to the Biological Sciences II during her first semester at Mesa, she referred to a
lab manual published by a previous instructor to create her lesson plans. Today, she
conducts her classes with new lab material that she created as part of a grant-funded
initiative to close equity gaps in the life sciences.
The Biology 210B lab redesign focuses on incorporating components of the scientific
methods into lab activities. The initiative strives to prepare Mesa students for elevated studies in the sciences, and aids those who
may have taken biology courses in high school or at other colleges that lacked instruction
in crucial scientific methods and techniques.
Professor Bruckman wrote a total of thirteen new Biology 210B labs that were implemented
over the course of the Spring 2019 semester. She incorporated hypothesis testing,
data analysis, and experimental design within more traditional organismal lab activities
to enhance the course's previous lessons. In addition to writing these new labs, she
also organized new materials, investigated potential field sites, coordinated with
lab technicians, and researched relevant content. With Professor Bruckman’s contributions,
Mesa College students will be equipped with a greater literacy in scientific principles,
which they can bring with them as they pursue further studies and positions in STEM
fields.
Tags: Daniela Bruckman, Biology, Lab Redesign, Faculty, STEM
