People

The lab is directed by Jennifer Osterhage. Dr. Osterhage is an alum of the University of Kentucky, earning her BS in Biology from the university in 2002. Dr. Osterhage received her Ph.D in Biology from Vanderbilt University in 2007. Although originally trained as a molecular biologist, her current research interests are in biology education. She has taught Introductory Biology I at the University of Kentucky to over 6000 students over the past ten years. Over that time, she became interested in the metacognitive practices that students engage in as they learn biology concepts. She is interested in studying and promoting metacognitive development and effective learning strategies in introductory biology courses. She is also interested in understanding and promoting student motivation in these contexts. 

Shea is a PhD candidate in the biology department. She has a background in physiology with a broad interest in cardiovascular and renal physiology. In the BLAM lab, Shea is interested in examining student misconceptions of integrative physiology and developing teaching tools to address these misconceptions. In the future, Shea hopes to teach physiology at a medical school. 

Mary is a graduate student in the Biology department at UK. She is a member of the Weisrock lab. As part of the Weisrock lab, Mary is examining the health of fresh water mussel species in Kentucky using genetic methods. In the BLAM lab, she will be investigating the motivation of first-year and upper-level students in introductory biology. Her interests include: conservation, evolution, education, and making cookies for the lab.

Brenna is a senior at UK majoring in Biology with a minor in History on the pre-optometry track. She is involved in Delight Ministries and ASLDCC(American Sign Language and Deaf Culture Club) on campus, in addition to being a member of Kappa Beta Gamma, a sorority on campus. She has tutored in the Biology Learning Center and that is what really got her interested in working with this lab. She hopes to better understand the financial challenges associated with being a STEM major. 

Sai Yalla is a senior majoring in Biology and Mathematical Sciences. She is involved in the Phi Sigma Rho Sorority, Medicats, Indian Student Association, and is an Undergraduate Research Ambassador. She hopes to use the skills and knowledge gained conducting research towards her future as a physician scientist. In the lab, she will be working on understanding financial concerns and obstacles that STEM students face.

Laura Hoskins is a junior majoring in Neuroscience and Psychology with a minor in Criminology. She is the president of the Cover to Cover book club and involved in Neurocats. She wants to understand how people process information given to them, and how the brain connects them to certain things.. 

Hunter Roadhouse is a junior majoring in Chemistry with a minor in Biology on the pre-dental track. He is interested in how students prepare for and approach open-ended questions in Chemistry. In the BLAM lab, Hunter is focusing on developing a tool to assist students in studying Organic Chemistry. He has experience in tutoring and plans to share his knowledge to better the oral health crisis in Kentucky after dental school.

Max is a visiting undergraduate student at the University of Kentucky and a Chemistry major at Bard College in NY. He is passionate about mastering chemical concepts and believes in the importance of a well-educated next generation in STEM. He is determined, through research and teaching, to uplift this generation by studying students' learning styles and educational challenges so he can one day meet a diverse body of students' needs in the classroom.

Leila is a first-year student majoring in Biology. She hopes to learn more about educational research methods and motivational processes in online course settings. 

Annie is a recent graduate of UK with a Biology major and a minor in Russian language and Im interested in learning about how students study/learn. And I plan to continue studying in a graduate program in the medical field after I graduate. 

Avani Patel is a senior majoring in Human Health Sciences with a minor in Business. She is a member of the Lewis Honors College and is on the pre-dental track. In addition, she is currently a student program coordinator at PresentationU which is UK’s tutoring center for communication. She is interested in seeing how effective communication through the use of drawings and images can impact a patient-provider relationship.

Reagan Rose is a junior at the University of Kentucky, majoring in Biology and she is on the pre-pharmacy track. She is a certified pharmacy technician at a retail pharmacy. Recently with the COVID-19 pandemic, she has been trained and certified to give patients shots, along with this training she learned CPR and basic first aid skills.  

Courtney is a senior at UK majoring in Biology with the hope of becoming a Genetic Counselor. She wants to learn how positive communication affects how people learn and interact with their mentors and plans to use this knowledge to better interact with patients in the future. She is also the VP of Leadership in Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity at UK." 

Hope is a sophomore majoring in Human Health Sciences on the Pre- PA track. She is involved PA clubs, women’s clubs, peer mentoring and is a member of the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. As a member of the lab, she hopes to learn lots of information that will help her and other students to learn and study for classes better! 

Olivia is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Physiology researching spinal cord injury.  She first started teaching the experiential credit within her service program to overcome her fear of public speaking and ended up finding her passion! In the future, she hopes to teach physiology at a large research university. She is interested in learning the best ways to engage large classes in topics that can be overwhelming to students.

Utku Caybas was a doctoral student in Educational Psychology at UK from 2021-2022. He is now a doctoral student at Michigan State University.  He graduated from Istanbul University with a BA in Psychological Counseling and Guidance with a double major in Teaching Gifted Children in 2018. Afterward, he completed his master’s studies in Curriculum & Instruction at Middle East Technical University in 2021. In the last year of his master’s, he worked as an instructional designer at a private middle school in Turkey. He is interested in how peer relationships influence students’ motivation. Email: caybasiz@msu.edu

My name is Aakanksha Konduri, and I am currently a sophomore on the Public Health on the Pre-Med track. I plan to use what I learned in lab to help further understand and interpret diagrams for my future as a Cardiothoracic Surgeon!