ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Winthrop University faculty member Matthew Stern has been named to the prestigious 2020-2023 class of the HHMI BioInteractive Ambassador Academy.
Over the next three years, Stern, an associate professor of biology, will engage in professional learning experiences that will help him promote and support evidence-based teaching practices; drive change in science education; and elevate the professional and scholarly profile of teaching science.
Stern said he’s used HHMI BioInteractive’s teaching resources in his courses for several years, noting they are “incredibly effective.”
“They are highly engaging for students and relatively simple for instructors to implement and build off of,” he explained. “Being part of the BioInteractive community will allow me to connect and collaborate with a network of outstanding life sciences educators who are at the forefront of educational innovation.”
Through the academy, Stern will share inclusive and equitable science-teaching practices that use HHMI BioInteractive’s resources, values and approach to teaching. Stern looks forward to applying what he learns to his classroom.
“But more importantly, I'll be charged with sharing that knowledge and experience with other life sciences educators at Winthrop and throughout the country,” he said. “I have no doubt that my participation in the BioInteractive Ambassador Academy will make me a more effective educator, and I am optimistic that it will also allow me to become even more active in the scholarship of teaching and learning, which is something that both Winthrop and I greatly value.”
More than 400 high-school and university professionals applied for the academy; Stern was one of only 30 selected.
Stern joined the Winthrop community in 2013, where he teaches cell biology, molecular biology, scientific process and more. He leads an active research program of undergraduate and graduate students, exploring topics such as understanding how adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells respond to a variety of three-dimensional cultural systems.
In the past two years, Stern has earned federal and state grants to study cell behavior. He was also part of a team that received EPSCoR/IDeA Stimulus Research program funds to engineer replacements for small blood vessels.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska, his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Sticht Center on Aging.
For more information, contact Nicole Chisari, communications coordinator, at chisarin@winthrop.edu or call 803/323-2236.
