Welcome to my UCA faculty webpage

Mark W. Bland, PhD

University of Central Arkansas

Associate Professor of Biology

Department of Biology

201 Donaghey Ave.

Conway, AR 72035

(501) 450-5967

email: mbland@uca.edu

I do it for the students.

EDUCATION:

PhD Biological Education, School of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, 2004.

Dissertation: The Effects of Student-produced Renderings on Achievement in Introductory Biology.

-- Housed in the School of Biological Sciences at UNC, this dual-focus program produces graduates who are “multifaceted scholar[s] and educator[s] with a solid background in biology and [in the] teaching of biology.”

MS Biology, Department of Biology, Fort Hays State University, 1991.

Thesis: Growth Curve Studies of Taphrina During the Saprophytic Phase.

BS Forest Resources: Science Option, College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Range Sciences, University of Idaho, May, 1984.

POSITIONS HELD AT UCA:

Associate Professor, Biology Department, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR, 8/2015 - present.
Assistant Professor, Biology Department, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR, 8/2004 - 5/2015. Tenured, 2010.

COURSES TAUGHT AT UCA:

• BIOL 1400 Exploring Concepts in Biology. Lecture and lab.
• BIOL 4415/5415 Mechanisms of Evolution. Lecture and lab.
• BIOL 4470 Biology of Seed Plants. Lecture and lab.
• BIOL 6102 Graduate Seminar: Effective teaching for TA’s.
• SCI 4190 Teaching Internship I. Field experience, BSE students.
• SCI 4315 Integrated Methods for Mathematics and Science.
• SCI 4400 Secondary Science Teaching Methods. Lecture and lab.
• SCI 4410 Concepts of Science. Lecture and lab.
• SCI 4680 & 4681 Teaching Internship II. “Student teaching” experience.
• STEM 3310 Research Methods for Mathematics and Science.
• PHYS 4V03 Special Topics in Physics. The study of teaching and learning. (Co-taught with Dr. Carl Frederickson, Physics Dept.).

MENTORSHIP OF GRADUATE STUDENTS:

• Tori McFail, M.S. student, Beginning Fall 2023, Graduation date: May, 2025.

• Misty Boatman, M.S. student, Graduation date: May, 2022. Thesis: Assessing Evolution Education in Public Schools in the State of Arkansas:

Is the Light On?

• Britteny Berumen, M.S. student, Graduation date: May, 2022. Thesis: Comparing Public and Private High School Biology Teachers’ Acceptance

and Teaching of Evolutionary Theory in Arkansas.

• Christie Birdsong, M.S. Biology. Graduation date; May, 2019. Non-thesis research topic: Faculty Views on Evolution at Several Arkansas Campuses.

• Elizabeth Morrison, M.S. Biology, Graduation date: August, 2016. Thesis: Male Fixation Patterns on Female Breasts: A Study on Sexual

Selection in Humans.

• Holli Hall, M.S. Biology, Graduation date: April, 2016. Thesis: Acceptance of Evolution Among American College Students at Two

Arkansas Regional Universities.

• Aeden Custer, M.S. Biology, Graduation date: August, 2015. Thesis: Pre-Service Teachers Knowledge and Acceptance of Evolution Across

Teaching Disciplines.