Lab Members

Dr. Rosario Marroquín-Flores (she/her)

View Dr. Marroquín-Flores' CV

I am originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, but obtained my Ph.D. in Biology at Illinois State University (ISU) in 2022. My doctoral work investigated the molecular mechanisms organizing gonadal differentiation in a species of turtle with temperature-dependent sex determination, where incubation temperatures determine male or female development. I also pursued research investigating the effects of student engagement with science communication. With the support of the STEM Advocacy Institute, I founded a science communication platform called PubNavigator, which uses accessible language to share the findings of peer-reviewed literature. I am currently investigating how PubNavigator can be used to help students understand, convey, and translate information from published papers. In my spare time time, I also committed to building professional development programming for our local Society Advancing Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) chapter. I hope to find similar ways to support our students here at TTU.

I am excited to transition into my postdoctoral position with the Limeri Lab, where we will be exploring teacher mindsets and motivation to engage in teaching professional development. I hope to further explore ways to cultivate community cultural wealth and science identity using student-centered learning in biology classrooms at TTU. After five years in the icy mid-west, I am very much looking forward to the sun and the warmth offered in Lubbock, TX! 

When I am not in the lab or the classroom, I enjoy all things outdoors. I love spending time in my garden, backpacking in the back country, and spending time with two goofy dogs and my old, curmudgeonly cat.  

Dr. Anisha Navlekar (she/her)

email: anisha.navlekar [at] ttu.edu | View Dr. Navlekar's CV

I am from Pune, India and began my doctoral journey as an international graduate student at Texas Tech University in 2015. I obtained my PhD in 2022, working on microbial degradation of plastic by the gut microbiome of two insect larvae. I studied polystyrene degradation by the gut microbiome of Tenebrio molitor larvae and polyethylene degradation by the gut microbiome of Plodia interpunctella larvae through a genomics and proteomics lens. As a graduate teaching assistant during the PhD, I taught various Biology and Microbiology lab courses to undergraduates. It was here that I discovered my love for undergraduate education as well as a deep interest in helping graduate teaching assistants develop their pedagogical skills. Through a pedagogical research opportunity, I was introduced to the field of Biology Education Research and found that it married my research and teaching interests!

So here I am, now a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Limeri’s lab! As part of the Biology Education Enhancement (BEE) project, I study the attitudes and mindset beliefs of students in Introductory Biology courses and the effect mindset interventions have on these. We also expect that such interventions will affect their educational outcomes as well as position them for continued success in Biology courses. I am further interested in studying how professional development in graduate teaching assistants can improve their teaching self-efficacy, teaching perspectives and mindset beliefs, and how these might affect the attitudes of their students towards learning. I also coordinate the Introductory Biology labs here at TTU, so by now you can probably guess what my favorite subject to teach might be!

When not obsessing about Intro Bio courses, I am an avid reader especially of mythological and autobiographical books. There are a lot of similarities between Greek and Indian mythology and reading about it (whether fiction or not) is really fun! I love to travel and explore new places which is something I try to do especially when attending conferences in different cities. I also like to spend time catching up with my family back in India and my husband who works in Dubai, so if you need advice on long-distance relationships, let me know!

Anastasia Chouvalova (she/her)

email: achouval [at] ttu.edu | View Anastasia's CV

I hail from a small suburban community in the Greater Toronto Area in Canada and yes, if you’re wondering, one of my motivations to relocate to Texas was for the warmer and drier weather! Having gone through the rigorous and competitive academic curriculum of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Guelph, I realized that while I had a profound interest in human health and cognition, my core passion lies in improving the quality and outcomes of higher education. As an undergraduate student, I was involved in a collegiate committee aiming to improving biological undergraduate education and I was exposed to many challenges faced by the biological education field. Through my graduate studies, I plan to focus on the study of mindset in both STEM undergraduate instructors and students, and my greatest hope is that this will help formulate some powerful solutions to the challenges of undergraduate biology education. The field of psychometrics and research instruments always intrigued me, but also posed an enigma: How are valid and reliable tools developed for use in both research and in industries? 

Frankly, I always regarded methods research as a very challenging endeavor, but one that I had a growth mindset for! I am excited to weave my doctoral studies with my prior experience in neuroscience, cognitive psychology, social psychology, interdisciplinary research, and qualitative research to develop effective mindset interventions for STEM faculty and students. I could not be happier with my decision to join the Limeri Lab and to embark on my post-graduate journey under the guidance of Doctor Limeri. 

In my spare time, I enjoy cross-country running, hiking, watching rhythmic gymnastics, and catching up on political news. As you can see from my not-so-professional profile photo, I am a naturalist and I love indulging in the Japanese-inspired art of “forest-bathing”! 

If you ever wish to chat with me, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at achouval [at] ttu.edu

Mason Tedeschi (he/they)

mtedesch [at] ttu.edu

I grew up near Boston, Massachusetts, went to high school in the Berkshire area, and then college in Sarasota, Florida, so Lubbock seems to be my next stop as I continue to move around the country. 

As an undergraduate at New College of Florida, I pursued biology and biopsychology coursework. Meanwhile, I explored my interest in education through undergraduate research projects, as well as my time serving as a Student Writing Assistant, Peer Leader, and member of the college’s Education Policy Committee. I officially joined the Discipline-Based Education Research community through a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at Rochester Institute of Technology, where I helped develop novel statistical analyses of student persistence, retention, and success. That project gave me the hands-on experience that motivated me to continue to pursue science education research. I’m incredibly grateful to have found my way to the Limeri Lab as a doctoral student, and to work with the other lovely people you see on this page. 

I am interested in strength-based approaches to understanding students’ experiences and identities, and particularly how we can better support the success of students who identify as neurodivergent or as having learning disabilities. I also would like to learn more about how academic cultures and environments shape students’ beliefs about their abilities, and how students draw from their beliefs to pursue success. 

When I’m not in the lab, I enjoy taking walks outdoors, rock climbing, reading (mainly fantasy and science fiction), and cooking.