DR. JACQUELINE MCLAUGHLIN
Director, CHANCE

The Pennsylvania State University Lehigh Valley 8380 Mohr Lane Fogelsville, PA 18051 Phone: (610) 285-5109 E-mail: jshea@psu.edu Website: www.lv.psu.edu/jxm57/ Curriculum Vitae

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Jacqueline McLaughlin is an award-winning instructor and researcher in the fields of Biology and Biology education. She is an Assistant Professor of Biology at The Pennsylvania State University, Lehigh Valley, where she instructs courses in biodiversity and evolution, human physiology, development, and environmental science. Her research has focused on pro-nuclei migration during fertilization, the role of collagen type V in corneal development, and the development of the vertebrate heart.

More recently her research has focused on science education itself: (1) developing and assessing the effectiveness of web-based interactive “research modules” as pedagogical tools in the biology classroom; (2) the professional development of high school teachers who develop and/or use this technology; and (3) the value of experiential and inquiry-based pedagogy in teaching “short-term study abroad field courses.”

In keeping with her endeavors, Dr. McLaughlin has led numerous experiential field courses throughout Pennsylvania, Alaska, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Australia, Peru, Tanzania, Costa Rica, and China and has gained an international reputation for her innovative teaching methods. Research by McLaughlin has revealed that problem-centered field experiences enhance the student's knowledge of biodiversity, increase their understanding of how human's impact ecosystems, and influence how they would make behavioral decisions relative to biodiversity in the future. 

Her articles have appeared in both research and pedagogy journals, notably The Journal of Cell Science, The American Biology Teacher, and Frontiers in International Education, and her inquiry-based resources for teaching and learning science are available at web sites hosted by Penn State University, Society of Developmental Biology, and Pearson Education, Inc.

Dr. McLaughlin presently serves as Chair of the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) Four-Year College/University Section and on the Society of Developmental Biology’s (SDB) Professional Development and Curriculum Committee Review Panel.

 

Teaching Awards

1998 Teaching Excellence Award, Penn State Lehigh Valley

2000 Student Appreciation and Recognition Award, Penn State Lehigh Valley

2001 Alumni Award: Outstanding Teacher, Penn State Berks-Lehigh Valley College