Dr. Omar Quintero, of the University of Richmond, will deliver a plenary address about the use of inclusive practices in STEM at the 2018 SENCER Summer Institute. This plenary address will lead the focus on Diversity and Inclusion in 2018 as one of themes for this year’s Institute.
Omar is an Associate Professor at The University of Richmond where he was a member of the team responsible for revising the Biology Curriculum to align with the recommendations of the “Vision & Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action” report from the NSF and AAAS. He began preparing for his career as a research-active, student-centered, teaching-focused faculty member during his IRACDA-funded postdoctoral fellowship at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill where he trained in teaching and pedagogy as well as in the cell biology of molecular motors and the cytoskeleton. He has maintained an active research program where undergraduates are co-authors on many of his publications. His model for running his research group is based on his experiences under the guidance of Dr. Jo Rae Wright during his PhD work at Duke University. The success of his group is based upon each individual’s ability to contribute to the team, and each team member’s ability to contribute depends upon the mentor’s ability to individually guidance and motivate each member on that team. His approach to his work in the classroom is similar—he views each class as an unique project where all members of the team (students and faculty) play an active role in the learning and success of the class. In addition to leadership roles in pedagogy development in his home department, Dr. Quintero has taken a leadership role in the education-focused activities of his professional society, serving of the Education Committee of the American Society for Cell Biology.
SSI 2018 will be at Santa Clara University on August 2-5, 2018. You can find out more about the Institute, including confirmed plenary speakers, logistical information, and program details, at the SSI 2018 webpage. You can register directly for the Institute here.