Lab Members

Elena Bray Speth, Ph.D.

I joined the SLU Biology Department in 2009, as an Assistant Professor with a research focus on Biology Education. My disciplinary background is in Plant Biology (I earned my PhD at Michigan State University, studying the cellular and molecular basis of plant-pathogen interactions). I am interested in teaching, learning, and understanding biology; fascinated by the complexity of living systems, from cells to classrooms!

Link to my CV (Dec 2024 update)

Current graduate students

Chrissy Simmons

Chrissy is a SLU alum, and a biology instructor at SIUE, with over 15 years of teaching experience at the university level. She joined the SLUBERlab in 2018 and is pursuing a PhD.

Chrissy's research focuses on the study strategies of introductory biology students, and on the factors that influence student's strategy choice.

Anushka Jayasinghe

Anushka joined the Bray Speth Lab in Spring 2023 as a Ph.D. student. He brings to the SLUBERlab a corporate management perspective ( he has both Biology and Business Administration degrees!).

Anushka is investigating introductory biology students' personal academic goals and contextual self-awareness

Faryal Hashmi

We welcome Faryal, a new M.S. student joining us in Spring 2025!

Current undergraduate students

Dani Doncevic, Biology, class of 2025

Former graduate students

Konnor Brennan, Ph.D. 2022

Konnor was in the SLUBER lab from 2017 to 2022. His dissertation research focused on exploring student understanding of gene-to-phenotype relationships through student-generated conceptual models. Konnor moved on to a Biology instructor position at Rockhurst University, Kansas City, MO.

Amanda J. Sebesta, Ph.D. 2019

After her Ph.D., Amanda rejoined the SLUBER lab as a postdoctoral research fellow on an NSF grant focused on identifying systems thinking skills elicited by assessments in diverse biology courses, and developing assessment templates for instructors (2021-2023).

Emma Rae Wester, Ph.D. 2024

Ranya Taqieddin, Ph.D. 2019

Adam Reinagel, M.S. 2015

Matt Dirnbeck, M.S. 2012

Former undergraduate students

Fatema Rehmani, Health Science, class of 2025

Alex Rollins, B.S. in Biology, 2023

Sophia Izhar, B.S. in Biology, 2022

Catherine Gale, B.S. in Biology, 2021

Raquel Kragel, B.S. in Biology, 2018

Alan Parr, B.S. in Biology, 2018

Chanchal Kahlon, B.S. in Biology, 2017

Kolin Clark, B.S. in Biology, 2015

Chelsea Anderson, B.S. in Biology, 2013

Rodrigo Vasquez, Neuroscience, class of 2025

Omar Farooq, B.S. in Biology, 2023

Emily Bischoff, B.S. in Biology, Brandeis University

Caleigh Horan, B.S. in Biology, 2018

Pranav Konda, B.A. in Biology, 2018

Hannah Aherrera, B.S. in Biology, 2017

Zisansha Zahirsha, B.A. in Biology, 2016

Neil Shaw, B.A. in Biology, 2013

Paul Le, B.S. in Biology, 2012

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