Natalia Caporale, Biology lecturer, was selected to participate in the American Society for Microbiology’s 2015-2016 Biology Scholars Program as part of their Summer Research Residency in Biology Education Research. Congratulations Natalia!
SFSU Biology alumnus Matilde Miranda received a Ford Foundation Fellowship during her first year as a doctoral student in biology at UCLA. She is an alumnus of the Burrus Lab & of SEPAL.
Congratulations Matilde for all your hard work!
Relations between Intuitive Biological Thinking and Biological Misconceptions in Biology Majors and Nonmajors
John D. Coley and Kimberly Tanner
CBE Life Sciences Education March 2, 2015
The authors present evidence that seemingly unrelated biological misconceptions may share common conceptual origins arising from underlying systems of intuitive biological reasoning, or cognitive construals. The findings presented raise the intriguing possibility that university-level biology education may reify construal-based thinking and related misconceptions.
Learn more at: https://www.lifescied.org/doi/10.1187/cbe.14-06-0094
Congratulations John & Kimberly!
Drs. Kimberly Tanner and SEPAL Postdoc Shannon Seidel’s article “What if Students Revolt? Considering Student Resistance: Origins, Options and Opportunities for Investigation” (published in Cell Biology Education—Life Sciences Education) made the Faculty Focus publication’s “Best of” list that celebrates teaching and learning.
Learn more at: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/best-list-celebrates-scholarship-teaching-learning/
Congratulations Drs. Tanner and Seidel!
HHMI Biology FEST Summer Institute, July 28-August 1, 2014
Apply here:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2014HHMISummerInstituteInterest
All workshops and are held at the SEPAL Classroom, Hensill Hall 245.
May has been a month with a multitude of accomplishments by various SEPAL people! Please join us in congratulating all of them.
Two SEPAL Graduate students won awards at the 16th Annual COSE (College of Science and Engineering) Project Showcase.
SEPAL Graduate student, Hibba Ashraf, won Second Place in Education at the statewide Research Competition!
SEPAL Alum, Rebecca Garcia, accepted a position as a Kindergartener teacher at the San Francisco Day School. She is also pursuing a combined credential and Master’s in Education through the Bay Area Teacher Training Institute Program.
Please join us in congratulating SEPAL Alum, Rebecca Blandino, on her accomplishments in being awarded the MARC (Minority Access to Research Career) Fellowship at SFSU and for being selected to participate in “Inside UCSF,” introducing talented college students to the Health Professions and the opportunities in these fields at UCSF.
Seidel, S.B. and Tanner, K.D. “What if students revolt?” – Considering Student Resistance: Origins, Options, and Opportunities for Investigation. CBE: Journal of Life Science Education, 12, 586-595, 2013. pdf
Smith, J.I., Combs, E.D., Nagami, P.H., Alto, V.M., Goh, H.G., Gourdet, M.A.A., Hough, C.M., Mickell, A.E., Peer, A.G., Coley, J.D., Tanner, K.D., and Williams, K.S. Development of the Biology Card Sorting Task to Measure Conceptual Expertise in Biology. CBE: Journal of Like Sciences Education, 12, 628-644, 2013. pdf
http://www.hnu.edu/news/2013/12/smith-publishes-paper-in-life-sciences-education
SEPAL would like to congratulate SEPAL People Chris Pineda and Matilde Miranda for winning the 2013 Student Presentation Award at the annual ABRCMS (Annual Biomedical Conference for Minority Student) conference in Nashville, TN.
Both Chris and Matilde currently do undergraduate research in the laboratory of Dr. Laura Burrus at San Francisco State University.
Great job Chris and Matilde!
Please join SEPAL in congratulating our Spectrum Scientist, Natalia Garcia Penaloza, in being awarded the SFSU COSE (College of Science and Engineering) Bruce A. Rosenblatt Community Service Scholarships. This scholarship awards exceptional SFSU undergraduates students for their community service efforts.
Congratulations Natalia!
©2026 SEPAL is made possible through funds from the National Institutes of Health Science Education Partnership Award (NCRRSEPAR25RR024307-01), National Science Foundation GK-12 Grant (DGE0337949), PFSMETE Start-Up Grant (DGE-0136879), SFSU Center for Math and Science Education, SFSU Institute for Civic and Community Engagement and through in-kind support from the SFSU Department of Biology and College of Science and Engineering.
