Innovation takes creativity, an open mind, and more than a bit of determination. Lucky for us, Marcos García-Ojeda excels in all categories. Marcos is a professor and researcher at the University of California Merced with passion and dedication for improving teaching and creating inclusive and effective environments.

Marcos’ work in education began when his spouse was diagnosed with cancer and had to pursue treatment hours away from the small-town Merced. When faced with the decision to either maintain his lab work or support his spouse, the choice was clear for Marcos. He exchanged his research for a teaching position and embarked into new territory. Running a classroom would prove to carry many new challenges but Marcos approached them with enthusiasm, searching out ways to improve his skills as a professor. This quest would lead him to discover SABER, the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research.

This would mark his first encounter with biology teaching and learning research, and he knew he wanted to pursue it further. Marcos wasted no time, soon becoming a fellow with the Biology Scholars Program of the American Society of Microbiology and continuing his training. As he progressed, he began to formulate his own questions, wondering how various teaching methods would affect students. Eventually, Marcos would take a sabbatical and visit the University of Minnesota’s Biology Teaching & Learning department and join the EDU-STEM network.

The positive impact of his efforts has been clear to see - last semester 98% of his students passed his upper division microbiology class. Prior to his work with teaching and learning research he generally saw pass rates closer to 60%. “I can see a direct impact on my student’s performance, and therefore their future,” Marcos said. “When I see my students succeed in class I know what I’m doing has made a difference in their lives, helped them graduate, and fulfill their dreams.” Marcos’ dedication to his research stems in part from compassion -- he understands how great a burden a failed class can be on a student. This genuine and visible care for his student’s wellbeing doesn’t go unnoticed, and many of his past pupils stay in contact with him after graduation.

However, Marcos isn’t satisfied with restraining his work to just the classroom and UC Merced is the perfect place to take his efforts even further. Though UC Merced will have only had its 15th anniversary in May, the school has wasted no time in experimenting with new approaches to learning. From the outset, it was a bit of an outlier. UC Merced is a majority First-gen and minority college, with many of the staff having been first-gen students themselves. This unique set up has created an environment where innovation is welcome and thrives. UC Merced is home to many new programs that improve student’s academic growth and experiences. One such program aims to familiarize students and professors by taking advantage of a universal interest - food. Students are invited to gather and share dinner with various mentors from around the school, creating connections and helping spread understanding between the parties. “They love to eat, and we love to eat as well. It’s great to sit down and break bread with them, and get to know them a little bit more,” said Marcos. It’s comforting to students to see their professors as real, personable people who they can chat with, and it helps to foster a sense of community on campus.

Faculty and staff at UC Merced are taking initiative to improve classes as well. Marcos is working with two other CO PIs under an HHMI Inclusive Excellence grant with the goal of increasing equity and inclusion in Biology -- and their work is already inspiring changes in the rest of the School of Natural Science departments. Lower-division classes have become a focus for their work, with all basic biology labs slowly being transitioned to Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) labs. Once this shift is finished, every undergraduate STEM student to pass through Merced will have experience with hands-on research-based learning.

Marcos believes it is his responsibility to train others in inclusive teaching, and so he has unwaveringly dedicated himself to projects with that end in mind. Recently, he held a workshop that focused on teaching diverse learners, increasing success, and making classrooms more inclusive. This coming summer he will be collaborating with other faculty members and grad students to run a week-long Mobile Scientific Teaching Institute. Programs like these add new dimensions to traditional ideas of education, and many of the young minds entering teaching positions at UC Merced are responsible for bringing them to fruition. At the same time, efforts are being made to advance UC Merced from an R2 university to an R1. The papers, grants, and publications this requires can sometimes put stress on Marcos and his peers, but they have no intention of giving up.

The fantastic programs and opportunities Marcos and his colleagues have created and maintained are well worth the effort. His work is slowly transforming the field of teaching, making clear ripples that spread wide. He is not only helping his students achieve their dreams, but also laying the groundwork for future professors to do the same.