Sara Brownell
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Mail code: 4501Campus: Tempe
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Sara Brownell is a biology education researcher whose research focuses on making undergraduate science learning environments more inclusive. Trained as a PhD neuroscientist, she transitioned to discipline-based education research and is an expert on course-based undergraduate research experiences and making undergraduate science learning experiences, specifically active learning courses and undergraduate research experiences, more inclusive. Her research focuses on students with concealable stigmatized identities such as religious students, LGBTQ+ students, and students with disabilities, as well as the impact on students of instructors revealing these identities in the context of the classroom. Her research in biology education has been internationally recognized and featured in Science Magazine, as well as in numerous news outlets, including the NY Times, CNN, and Scientific American.
- Ph.D. Biology, Stanford University
- M.A. Education, Stanford University Graduate School of Education
- M.S. Biology, The Scripps Research Institute
- B.S. Biological Sciences, Cornell University
Undergraduate biology education
Cooper, K. M., Gin, L. E., & Brownell, S. E. (2019). Diagnosing differences in what Introductory Biology students in a fully online and an in-person biology degree program know and do regarding medical school admission. Advances in physiology education, 43(2), 221-232.
Couch, B. A., Wright, C. D., Freeman, S., Knight, J. K., Semsar, K., Smith, M. K., ... & Brownell, S. E. (2019). GenBio-MAPS: A Programmatic Assessment to Measure Student Understanding of Vision and Change Core Concepts across General Biology Programs. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 18(1), ar1.
Barnes, M. E., Dunlop, H. M., Holt, E. A., Zheng, Y., & Brownell, S. E. (2019). Different evolution acceptance instruments lead to different research findings. Evolution: Education and Outreach, 12(1), 4.
Grunspan, D. Z., Kline, M. A., & Brownell, S. E. (2018). The Lecture Machine: A Cultural Evolutionary Model of Pedagogy in Higher Education. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 17(3), es6.
Wright, C. D., Huang, A. L., Cooper, K. M., & Brownell, S. E. (2018). Exploring Differences In Decisions About Exams Among Instructors Of The Same Introductory Biology Course. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 12(2), 14.
Cooper, K. M., Downing, V. R., & Brownell, S. E. (2018). The influence of active learning practices on student anxiety in large-enrollment college science classrooms. International journal of STEM education, 5(1), 23.
Cooper, K. M., Ding, L., Stephens, M. D., Chi, M. T., & Brownell, S. E. (2018). A course-embedded comparison of instructor-generated videos of either an instructor alone or an instructor and a student. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 17(2), ar31.
Cooper, K. M., Krieg, A., & Brownell, S. E. (2018). Who perceives they are smarter? Exploring the influence of student characteristics on student academic self-concept in physiology. Advances in physiology education, 42(2), 200-208.
Barnes, M. E., & Brownell, S. E. (2018). Experiences and practices of evolution instructors at Christian universities that can inform culturally competent evolution education. Science education, 102(1), 36-59.
Cooper, K. M., Haney, B., Krieg, A., & Brownell, S. E. (2017). What’s in a name? The importance of students perceiving that an instructor knows their names in a high-enrollment biology classroom. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 16(1), ar8.
Wright, C. D., Eddy, S. L., Wenderoth, M. P., Abshire, E., Blankenbiller, M., & Brownell, S. E. (2016). Cognitive difficulty and format of exams predicts gender and socioeconomic gaps in exam performance of students in introductory biology courses. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 15(2), ar23.
Eddy, S. L., & Brownell, S. E. (2016). Beneath the numbers: A review of gender disparities in undergraduate education across science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 12(2), 020106.
Barnes, M. E., & Brownell, S. E. (2016). Practices and perspectives of college instructors on addressing religious beliefs when teaching evolution. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 15(2), ar18.
Brownell, S. E., Hekmat-Scafe, D. S., Singla, V., Chandler Seawell, P., Conklin Imam, J. F., Eddy, S. L., ... & Cyert, M. S. (2015). A high-enrollment course-based undergraduate research experience improves student conceptions of scientific thinking and ability to interpret data. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 14(2), ar21.
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- Chi,Michelene T.H.*, Brownell,Sara, Stump,Glenda Simonton. Learning from Dialog versus Monolog Videos. NSF-EHR-DUE(4/1/2016 - 3/31/2018).
- Brownell,Sara*. Navigating from Vision to Change with Bio-MAPS. UNIV OF WASHINGTON(1/1/2014 - 8/31/2016).
Courses
2025 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BIO 492 | Honors Directed Study |
MIC 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
BIO 591 | Seminar |
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
2024 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 492 | Honors Directed Study |
BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
MIC 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 591 | Seminar |
2024 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
MIC 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
BIO 591 | Seminar |
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
2023 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 492 | Honors Directed Study |
BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
MIC 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 591 | Seminar |
2023 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 492 | Honors Directed Study |
BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
MIC 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
BIO 591 | Seminar |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
2022 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BIO 492 | Honors Directed Study |
BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
MIC 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BCH 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 591 | Seminar |
2022 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 492 | Honors Directed Study |
BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
MIC 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
BIO 591 | Seminar |
2021 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 492 | Honors Directed Study |
BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
MIC 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BCH 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
2021 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 492 | Honors Directed Study |
BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
MIC 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
PHY 494 | Special Topics |
BCH 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
BIO 591 | Seminar |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
2020 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BIO 492 | Honors Directed Study |
BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
MIC 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BCH 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 591 | Seminar |
BIO 593 | Applied Project |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
2020 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
MIC 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BCH 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
PHY 494 | Special Topics |
BCH 494 | Special Topics |
CHM 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 591 | Seminar |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
2019 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BIO 492 | Honors Directed Study |
BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
SES 494 | Special Topics |
CHM 494 | Special Topics |
BCH 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
PHY 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 591 | Seminar |
BIO 593 | Applied Project |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
SES 494 | Special Topics |
- Arizona State University Centennial Teaching Award, University-wide Teaching Award, 2015
- Fellow for Arizona State University’s Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics, 2015
- Awarded “Most Influential Faculty” by a Student-Athlete, Sai Tummala, 2015
- Finalist for Maryellen Weimer Scholarly Work on Teaching and Learning Award, 2014
- Stanford Biology Student Services Award, Departmental Service Award, 2012
- Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation Outstanding Young Investigator Award, 2011
- Walter J. Gores Teaching Award, Stanford University’s Highest Teaching Award, 2010
- Stanford School of Medicine Award for Outstanding Teaching Assistant, 2009
- Excellence in Teaching Award, Stanford Department of Biology, 2008
- Stanford Graduate Fellowship (SGF) in Science and Engineering, 2008-2011
- National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship, 2005-2008