Faculty Excellence at UMUC

Interviewer:

Please tell us about yourself—what made you decide to teach at UMUC? What kind of work do you do when you are not teaching at UMUC? Are there any life experiences that have influenced your teaching at UMUC? If so, please share one story.

Mimi Bres:

At first, it was the attraction of teaching upper level students.  I enjoy my students at Prince George's Community College (and many are fantastic - intelligent and hard-working), but I miss the intellectual stimulation that comes from discussion of more advanced topics.

Now I've become attached to my intro bio students as well.  One admirable quality they share with my students at PGCC is their determination to obtain an education, even in the most trying of circumstances.

I'm a tenured Professor at Prince George's Community College. I teach a variety of courses in both face-to-face and online formats.  I specialize in biology for non-science majors (and have written several books for introductory biology students), but I also teach Marine Biology and Environmental Biology. 

While I was working on my Ph.D., I spent five years as a graduate fellow at the National Zoo in Washington DC. My first job after I graduated was Curator of Education at New England Aquarium in Boston. Both these experiences taught me a lot about communicating with the general public, and I've carried that over into my teaching.

Interviewer:

How would you describe your teaching style or philosophy? What experiences or person(s) have influenced your style or philosophy?

Mimi Bres:

There are four tenets to my teaching philosophy and classroom practice:

Personal contact is the key to successful adult education.

Studies examining learning at the college level have shown that frequent student/student and student/faculty interactions are among the most important factors that determine student success. I work hard to maximize both in all my courses, tailoring my class assignments to provide my online students with frequent opportunities to interact with me and with each other. 

I'm always available to connect with students, either via email, telephone, or, when possible, in person. In addition, I post classroom announcements at least twice a week that highlight connections between our current topics and real-life applications. These include links to web sites where students can see video and replay audio programs connected to the topic.

I provide detailed answer keys for all class assignments which always include lots of excerpts from the class. In fact, I believe this is one of the most valuable ways to help students - not only to master factual information, but also to improve their communication and writing skills. I receive frequent feedback from class members mentioning the utility of these posted answers in helping them understand difficult concepts.

I act as a mentor to my students. We discuss career options suitable to their interests and abilities, and I know that I highlight many opportunities that they wouldn't have known about or even considered without this interaction.

Understanding basic principles is the best foundation for mastering complex concepts.

I've worked very hard to be an effective teacher in all my courses. I continuously revise course notes, develop innovative methods to clarify course material for students, and develop active learning exercises for lecture and laboratory. I use a wide variety of techniques in the classroom, designed to make learning accessible to students with a variety of backgrounds, experience levels, and academic qualifications.

In keeping with this, I constantly infuse thinking and problem solving activities into the content areas to teach students to acquire the skills they will need for academic and on-the-job success. I try to keep the class entertaining as well as informative. I'm hoping that students will begin to regard science and the methods of scientific thinking as enjoyable and as a practical method for approaching problem solving situations in this course and elsewhere in their daily activities.

Learning is easier if the subject matter has relevance to students' everyday lives.

The basis of scientific work is asking questions and answering them by observations or experiments. Thus I feel strongly that one of the most important goals of introductory science courses should not be to simply outline facts about chemistry, body systems, environmental issues, or new techniques. Instead, a student should come away with some understanding of the processes of investigation that are basic to science, the problems that scientists face, and how they work to solve them. 

Mastery of biology concepts and skills forms a foundation for other courses and also for basic life experiences. I try throughout the semester to relate course work to life experiences, items in the news, everyday problems in health and society, and other applicable information.

I draw examples from other countries, ancient and modern history, television programs, newspapers, literature, and a variety of other sources to improve my students' learning experience. Since UMUC students are diverse in ethnic and cultural backgrounds, this helps them to see connections between course topics and everyday life that are easily accessible and interesting to students with no previous background in biology. 

Learning should be an enjoyable, lifelong experience.

I love learning and get real pleasure out of passing what I know on to my students.  In common with most of my students, I was out of school for several years before resuming my education.  By sharing stories about my experiences, I help them realize that they have the ability to accomplish their goals.  I am very patient and am always willing to help students who want to help themselves.

In keeping with my philosophy of lifelong learning, I take every opportunity to pursue my own professional development.  I make frequent presentations at conferences around the U.S. This not only gives me the opportunity to share my expertise, but also to interact with colleagues and learn from other conference presentations. I strongly believe that this type of "cooperative learning"  keeps my teaching fresh and my approach current.

When I was a graduate student back in the day (working on my Master's), I had a teaching fellowship. I had a wonderful professor as a mentor (Dr. Alan Gubanich, University of Nevada Reno). He specialized in biology for non-majors. 

As you may know, this isn't a course that's sought out or considered a desirable part of a faculty member's teaching load in many research institutions. Most introductory biology courses are taught by new and often inexperienced faculty members, but he made it his own. I learned a lot about teaching and making science interesting from him and I credit him with developing interest in teaching.

Interviewer:

Please explain if you do something special or unique in your teaching and what made you develop this.

Mimi Bres:

I don't know if it's special or unique, but I try to make all the topics we cover relevant to everyday life.  This includes bringing in news articles, TV shows, personal health issues, and anything else I can acquire to show students that what they're learning in class actually has practical applications.

Interviewer:

What do you think it is about your teaching style that appeals to students?

Mimi Bres:

I try to put myself in a student's position and communicate the information in as non-technical, non-threatening manner as I can. Also, I never lose my temper no matter how many times I'm asked the same question. Sometimes it isn't easy!  However, a lot of my students have had negative experiences with science in the past and bad teachers. It's left them without much self-confidence and this impedes their learning. I try to make the course relaxed and interesting even though science courses are difficult and challenging.

Interviewer:

Do you teach face-to-face, online, or both? Do you have a preference between teaching face-to-face and online? If so, please explain.

Mimi Bres:

I teach both face-to-face and online. I prefer teaching face-to-face. Questions in class spin us into areas we never would go in the highly-structured online environment. That said, the opportunity to interact with students living around the world in class discussions brings a richness to my online courses that my face-to-face students don't always experience. I think it's great that students who, for many reasons wouldn't be able to attend courses on campus, have an opportunity to complete their educations in a distance-learning format. I try hard to make sure that online students receive an equivalent experience to my on-campus sections.

Interviewer:

Please tell us about your chosen discipline-i.e., what made you interested in the area initially? What do you do to stay current in your discipline? What do you like best about teaching in your discipline?

Mimi Bres:

I've always been interested in biology and the environment, since I was a little girl picking up shells on the beach - so of course, I became a biologist with a specialty in marine ecology!

My field research has been centered around environmental science and animal behavior. I've studied a variety of animals in the wild and in captivity, from gorillas to sharks and barracuda.

My discipline has changed over the years. I no longer conduct field research in animal behavior. Instead, I research and develop curriculum materials designed to stimulate interest in science and to improve critical thinking skills. I also do work on assessment strategies. My home institution doesn't have a lot of travel funding available, but, luckily, my publisher sends me to lots of conferences to make presentations. This, along with reading online and paper journal articles, allows me to keep current in my field.

Taking students out into the field. Most have never even been to the Chesapeake Bay. When we go osprey banding every summer, it's just amazing to see how they respond to being on the water, holding a large bird of prey in their own hands. This is totally cool!

Interviewer:

What is the most challenging to you in teaching in this area? What teaching strategy do you use when you encounter the challenge? Are there any special challenges to teaching your discipline online?

Mimi Bres:

I'd also like to arrange some outings that would be doable for online students, even those in different countries.

Students have to be really proactive to get the most out of an online course. I encourage them the best I can, but there are always students who don't participate fully and don't respond to my attempts to reach out to them. I can think of some ideas to help with that, for example, video and audio supplements to my courses.

Interviewer:

What suggestion would you give to students who are interested in majoring or working in your discipline?

Mimi Bres:

Explore all your options. There are literally dozens of career paths in biology. Figure out what you like in each of your courses and in your personal life and then tailor a career to your preferences. A knowledgeable professor can open your eyes to opportunities you might never have considered. Get to know the faculty and take advantage of their expertise. You'll be glad you did!

Interviewer:

In your opinion, what makes UMUC the college of choice for students?

Mimi Bres:

UMUC has done an amazing job making distance learning accessible and convenient. Students' get an academically rigorous experience from a diverse group of faculty in a format that fits their schedules. What's not to like?

Interviewer:

In your opinion, what makes UMUC the employer of choice for future faculty members?

Mimi Bres:

I have to admit that I'm not as young as I once was. The ability to teach online courses can continue even if a faculty member decides on retirement. I can log in and interact with my students even when I'm traveling. I left messages for my students from the middle of the ocean off the Galapagos Islands.

Interviewer:

What suggestion would you give to new faculty who are interested in teaching in your discipline at UMUC?

Mimi Bres:

Take advantage of the expertise of experienced faculty members. Also, UMUC has a great Center for Teaching and Learning. Very few people get mentoring in teaching techniques in graduate school, but acquiring these techniques can make your career more enjoyable and enrich your students' lives in numerous ways.