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March 5, 2020


Mesa Biology Professor Dr. Daniela Bruckman Assists in Lab Redesign

Dr. Daniela Bruckman

By Office of Communications

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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