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Biology Instructor Receives Teaching Award

Biology instructor Jeff Schinske was recently selected as the 2018 recipient of the Outstanding Undergraduate Science Teaching Award (OUSTA) from the Society for College Science Teaching. Schinske is the first community college instructor to receive this prestigious award. 

The OUSTA recognizes the achievements of science teachers who have enhanced the profession through excellence, scholarship and service. Schinske will accept the award and present at the National Science Teachers Association conference in March. 

In his current position, Schinske co-coordinates Foothill's anatomy and physiology courses and serves as the lead biology curriculum reviewer for California's statewide articulation system, C-ID. His current research focuses on equity and inclusion in science classrooms, the underrepresentation of community colleges in biology education research, and STEM faculty development. 

Schinske has published numerous peer-reviewed articles on STEM teaching and learning, has served as PI or Co-PI on four NSF grants, was interviewed by Nature for an article on community college teaching, and recently appeared as a senior author on an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on measuring faculty teaching practices in STEM classes. He is frequently invited as a plenary speaker on issues of equity and diversity in STEM education and has facilitated discussions on the topic at institutions ranging from small community colleges to large universities.