Cissy Ballen, Ph. D.

I am an associate professor of biology education and discipline-based education researcher. My interests in this field largely center on identifying scalable strategies in higher education that improve learning for all, and reducing attrition of excluded groups in STEM fields. Prior to starting at Auburn, I completed postdoctoral research positions in the Zamudio Lab at Cornell University and in the (real) Cotner Lab at University of Minnesota, studying the effects of high stakes assessment, support programs, teaching methods, and classroom culture on student performance and persistence in undergraduate biology. I completed my doctoral degree in evolutionary biology in the Shine Lab and Olsson Lab at the University of Sydney, Australia. Email: mjb0100@auburn.edu