Education

Teaching at the University of Puget Sound

Biology 111 - Unity of Life (Spring semester). Biology 111 is an introductory level course that examines the fundamental properties that organisms have in common, focusing on the the molecular and cellular scales. Biology 111 is designed for students intending to major in Biology or a related science and also fulfills the natural sciences core.

Biology 213 - Genetics (Fall semester). Biology 213 is a comprehensive and intermediate level course designed for students intended to major in Biology or Molecular and Cellular Biology. Biology 213 provides course-based research experiences to students through independent research projects directly tied to the ongoing research programs of our faculty in the Biology Department.

Biology 365- Applied Bioinformatics. Students in this course are introduced to the types of genomic sequence data biological research produces, the types of tools available to extract information from these datasets, and how these can be used to answer biological questions about evolution, diversity, metabolism, and ecology. The course also discusses modern sequencing methods and exposes students to programming. Students apply principles of bioinformatics and genome datasets in weekly lab exercises and in a semester-long project. The course is taught in the Thompson Hall Biology Computer Lab from which students have remote access to a Linux bioinformatics server.

NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates

The Sosa lab contributes to undergraduate research outside UPS as a collaborator of Heritage University's REU Site: A Transformative Approach for Engaging First-Generation Underrepresented Minorities in a Research Experience. Students in the program join the Sosa lab during the summer to develop projects in marine microbial ecology and bioinformatics. Past projects include developing mutagenesis systems for marine bacterial isolates, bacteria transcriptomics to study metabolism, and metagenomics.

Campus Community

Featured in Arches Magazine (Winter 2022) article Where is the methane in the ocean coming from? (p. 29)

Featured in Arches Magazine (Spring 2020) article Home School by Renee Olson (p. 10)

Featured in Elements Magazine (Issue 26) article Laptop Labs by Elements Staff (p. 36)

Featured in Elements Magazine (Issue 25) article An Interview with new Professor by Noah Dillon (p. 40).