Mary earned her BS in Biochemistry with a minor in Psychology from Arizona State University. Her research in the Cooper Biology Education Research Lab examines how academic experiences influence depression among science undergraduate and graduate students, with a focus on identity, coping mechanisms, and attributions. In her free time, she enjoys playing Nintendo/online video games, attending concerts, cooking, and traveling.

Email: mkahrama@asu.edu; LinkedIn; Lab members page

Jynx earned her BS in Biology & Psychology at East Carolina University, and is a current NSF Graduate Research Fellow. Jynx has explored behavioral ecology, clinical psychology, and STEM education research during undergrad. Her current goal is to build upon her mixed methods experience and apply innovative quantitative methods to understand graduate student depression. More broadly, she plans to study mental health in higher ed learning environments with an interest in LGBTQ+ and low SES populations. She is a fan of AZA-certified aquariums, has a cat named Meatloaf, and plays PC/Nintendo games in her free time.

Brittany earned her BS in Biology at Regis University and is currently a PhD student at the University of Colorado, Boulder. She is currently co-mentored by Jenny Knight and Meredith Betterton. Brittany is working on research on the Core Concepts from the Vision and Change framework and characterizing microtubule and motor protein dynamics. She is interested in interdisciplinary work and how we can better biological education. A fun fact about Brittany is that she was named after Britney Spears. Brittany is excited to be a part of DBER-SIT and work in Elections and Bylaws.

LinkedIn

Noah achieved a BS in Biomathematics and a MS in Agronomy, and he is now a PhD student in STEM Education at the University of Minnesota. He is pursuing environmental education research under the guidance of Dr. Sarah Eddy. He is intrigued by student motivation, interest, and persistence in the environmental sciences from elementary to higher education. His hobbies include gardening, writing, chess, and jazz music.

Alyssa is a Ph.D. student in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln (UNL), working alongside Brian Couch. Alyssa's research includes developing assessments and using video recordings, surveys, and assessments to study how instructor implementation of published biology lessons impacts student learning. Before starting her Ph.D., she completed her B.S. In Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota (UMN). After graduating from UMN, she did research with Dr. A. Kelly Lane (UMN) and Dr. Sehoya Cotner (UMN and University of Bergen/UiB), focusing on using qualitative and quantitative methods to examine student use of personnel resources in laboratory-based CUREs, student perceptions of genetics and race, and student identity salience in an international graduate-level field ecology course. When not doing research, Alyssa enjoys spending time outside with her Siberian husky, traveling, baking, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and falling into Wikipedia rabbit holes.

Email: aolson58@huskers.unl.edu; LinkedIn; ORCID; Bluesky; Twitter/X

Krista is a PhD Candidate in Biology at Florida International University, currently being advised by Sarah Eddy. Her research focuses on how near-peer mentoring model (i.e. Learning Assistant Program) can drive student success through tailored support, role modeling and community building in the classroom. Before her PhD, Krista was involved in a wide range of educational activities, including: tutoring K-12 children of incarcerated parents, working working as a camp counselor for  underserved middle schoolers interested in STEM careers, and teaching high school chemistry. She also earned her BS in Biology and BA in Psychology at Florida International University. Outside of her research, Krista enjoys live music, indoor cycling and volunteering with her local church.

Email: kdoni002@fiu.edu; LinkedIn

Julia Mellary is a PhD student in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Guelph, working with Dr. Dan Grunspan in the Social Networks and Pedagogy (SNAP) Lab. She discovered her love & passion for DBER during her BSc in Biomedical Science, which she also completed at Guelph. As an undergraduate, she worked on projects that explored how past educational experiences shape instructors' and undergraduate students’ beliefs about teaching. Her MSc research explored the relationship between undergraduate students' achievement-goal orientations and their use of generative AI. Her PhD focuses on understanding the features of high-structure courses on student motivation, and characterizing students' understanding of cell signaling. In her spare time, she can often be found reading, knitting, or enjoying the company of her (many) cats.

Email: jmellary@uoguelph.ca; LinkedIn