Lab Members

Elli Theobald

Principal Investigator

As an education researcher and ecologist, I am intrigued by the natural world. My research in education focuses on student success and ways educators can achieve teaching excellence in higher education STEM classrooms. I trained as an ecologist so my approach is often quantitative in nature and my time as a middle school and high school teacher reminds me of the importance of relationships and community. My ecological interests revolve around species interactions and contributions of volunteers to science....and of course how we can best teach undergraduates these principles.

I love to be outdoors for work and for fun: my favorite pastimes are reading to, playing with, and generally trying to keep up with my son and daughter. I also enjoy camping, sailing, and going on bike rides with my family.

I believe science is for everyone, kindness is everything, and we should persistently strive for progress, over perfection.

Mentoring Philosophy

I believe (and the evidence supports) that the most productive and empowering mentor-mentee relationships are founded on mutual respect, and hinge on 1) personal goal setting; 2) tailored support; and 3) reflection coupled with honest, rigorous, and kind communication. Often, the most successful mentees engage in multiple mentoring relationships. I seek guidance and support as a mentor through resources in the UW Biology Department, scholars of mentoring (e.g., Dr. Beronda Montgomery), and my own inspirational mentors. With these pillars and resources in mind, I hope that all people in my lab are empowered to relentlessly pursue their goals. If this sounds like a lab in which you could bring your whole self, be supported to meet your own goals, and do great science, I would love to hear from you!

Sumitra Tatapudy, PhD

Washington Research Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr. Tatapudy joined the lab in Summer 2022 as a WRF Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Sumitra's research interrogates competition in introductory STEM classrooms and seeks solutions to move competition from menacing to motivating. Classroom competition (both real and perceived) can lead to attrition from STEM but instructors can intervene. Specifically, by balancing the authority-vulnerability tradeoff that instructors face, students may learn that science is for all.

Linnea Bostrom, MA Ed

Postmasters Researcher

Linnea finished her MEd in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in the Spring of 2023 at the University of Washington. Prior to completing her degree, she taught science at a public PBL (Project Based Learning) STEM high school in Tacoma, WA. Her master's research focused on the value placed on teacher-student relationships in the teacher evaluation process. As a research scientist in the lab, she helps to collect, organize, and curate the data collection for a large-scale national project seeking to understand the different factors that influence student performance in active learning classrooms across the United States.

Shangmou Xu, PhD

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Dr. Xu ...

Carly Busch, PhD

NSF iPRF Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr. Busch joined the lab in 2024 after completing her PhD in Biology Education Research at Arizona State University. Carly's research is motivated by making undergraduate biology learning environments more effective and joyous. Her research assesses the extent to which content in a social context is present in undergraduate education and the effects it has on student learning and affective outcomes. Her previous research has explored the role of instructors as role models. Check out more about Carly's work here.

You?!

Reach out if you are interested in joining the lab! While we are likely not recruiting graduate students this cycle, we are always interested to hear about you!

We also welcome interested undergrads!

Lab Group!

Spring 2024

Left to Right: Elli Theobald (PI), Julia Smith (biograd student), Linnea Bostrom (research scientist), Annie Colgan (biograd student), Shangmou Xu (postdoc), Sumitra Tatapudy (postdoc). Not shown: Rachel Potter (biograd student).

Graduate Student Opportunities

I am not currently recruiting graduate student(s) to join the group as a PhD student in Biology, though I am always open to conversations about graduate school. Please explore the Biology Department to see if our program might be a good fit.

Postdoc Opportunities

I am not currently recruiting a postdoc to join the group but I am always happy to collaborate on a proposal if you are a postdoc who is interested in joining us. There are many sources of funding for such opportunities, including:

https://www.wrfseattle.org/grants/wrf-postdoctoral-fellowships/

https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/science-technology-engineering-mathematics-0

Undergraduate TAs

In the past, we have had several Undergrad TAs facilitating sections of Biol 113. These are an amazing group of campus leaders who are eager to help their fellow students succeed in Intro Bio. Biology 113 includes three areas of practice: professional development, study skills, and exam-aligned practice problems. While we are not currently recruiting UTAs, there may be other opportunities for peer facilitation.

Lab Alumni

Biology Education - Undergraduate and Postbac Researchers

Marzi Branyan - Undergraduate Researcher

Carly Busch - Undergraduate Researcher (now returning as a postdoc (!) after completing a PhD at ASU)

Vanshika Kumar - Undergraduate Researcher

Jiae Lee - Postdoctoral PALM Fellow (now faculty at Cal State Long Beach)

Charles Parsons - Undergraduate Researcher

Vicente Velasco - Post-Bac Research Scientist

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