Faculty Merit Application: L. Rebecca Sperry, PhD SME, Biology Dept. Please consider the evidence below demonstrating my excellent performance in the following categories:I) Teaching: 1) My student rating = 4.7 which is well above the “acceptable” level of 3. (delivery: 4.9, design& assessment =4.7, management= 4.6, learning outcomes= 4.75). (see appendix A1,6,9).2) I encourage development of critical thinking by assigning graded written work. My tests include open ended written response questions, in addition to scantron type questions. In addition, I require both online homework and written homework. In biol 1610 I assign 3 short papers and 2 worksheet assignments which are hand graded. The writing assists students in tying diverse concepts together, encourages them using their own words to explain complex ideas, helps them identify and correct misconceptions, and assists them in applying basic biological principles to real life situations to see the value of what they are learning. 3) I arrive early to class and give an open book review quiz before each class to encourage student interaction and discussion in this dead time. I begin class by discussing this quiz and clarifying fundamental points before moving to new material, so all benefit even if they don’t take the quiz. To encourage participation I track quiz scores and offer a few extra credit points, based on cumulative quiz percentage at the end of the year. I also track attendance.4) I constantly review, revise and update my lectures. I ask students what has worked well and what has not, and adjust appropriately. I include examples from my field of expertise (cell and developmental biology) to demonstrate application of course principles in meaningful, interesting ways. For example, to tie together the concepts of cell signaling, translation, and genotype/phenotype I teach how the male and female 10 and 20 sex characteristics form, and we discuss various abnormalities that result in particular signaling dysfunctions. I constantly try to instill in students the relevance of what they are learning to daily life and to the bigger picture, so they will remember beyond this class. I incorporate questions which force students to use previously learned material and make connections to new concepts we are learning, so they learn to use the information. (see A9,10,11,19,22,23)5) I use eportfolio assessments in my Biol 1610 class that are not required by the college.6) Communication: I offer unlimited office hours. I make it clear to students that they are welcome any time I am in my office, usually about 4 hours daily. This results in dealing with students outside class on average about 5-7 hrs a week. I offer test correction opportunities where I address individual student questions and give one on one tutoring and mentoring. In addition to using Canvas as a means of communication with students I also post my lecture powerpoints and provide pdf note versions for students to download before class. I post review sheets for each test section and a final cumulative review sheet as well. I also manage class time to include time for test review. (see A3, 16,17,18) 7) Attitude: I make it clear to students that my goal is their success. I maintain a cheerful, positive demeanor and am welcoming, friendly and encouraging, while still maintaining high academic standards. I try to instill a love of biology in my students, whether or not they are pursuing biological careers (see A 4,5,6,12,16,20). I greatly respect my colleagues and take advantage of opportunities to learn from them.

II) Professional activity:1) professional or occupational development: a)I attended a non required FTLC training course, Exploring strengths Nov 28, 2012, to help identify my own personal strengths and use them more effectively in my teaching. b) I evaluate my teaching by having students fill out anonymous end of year surveys in which I ask questions such as “what teaching aspects did you find most helpful and why? What aspects would you suggest I change?” I also ask about the value of specific assignments. I use this feedback to improve my course. 2) attainment of creditable academic degrees: I have multiple degrees, and upper level training beyond what is typical. (PhD in physiology and developmental biology, completed PhD coursework (no degree) in pharmacology and horticulture, MS in ethnobotany, BS in zoology and a BA in chemistry). This diverse academic background helps me to understand and apply biological principles from multiple perspectives. (see A11)

III) Service: This year I believe I have served above a minimally acceptable level. 1) I serve as a faculty senator for the biology dept, Fall12 –sp13. 2) I serve as a concurrent enrollment liaison for Biol 1090 and 1010 and I teach 3 sections of itineris Biol 1610 yearly. 4) I am a lead instructor (with Eric Green) for Biology 1090. This year this entailed rewriting the course objectives, revising the Taking Sides booklet used in the course, editing dept. final exams each semester, and reviewing and choosing a new text book for the course. I am also available to answer adjunct questions. 5) I assisted in reviewing new Biol 1610 textbooks and will attend training for the new online materials. 6) I attended Emergency Preparedness training, April 3, 2013, to improve my leadership in an emergency.

Appendices A (student comments) and B (example of a writing assignment)

Appendix A: student comments from eportfolio reflections, anonymous in class and online reviews, and emails.

1-From eportfolio: Nathan Boyle Biol 1610 F12 http://nhbeportfolio.weebly.com/Anyways I've really enjoyed this class and I would definitely recommend Rebecca Sperry as a Biology teacher to anyone wanting to learn about biology from someone who really cares and is very passionate about what they teach. Definitely one of the best teacher I've had at SLCC and surely the best Biology teacher!2-From eportfolio reflection statement Jordan Gallegos Biology 1610 December 7, 2012Through the semester I have realized that I have an interest in Biology. I found topics such as evolution and cells to be very interesting. By taking this class it has helped me have a better understanding of how life works which will help me in the medical field. I enjoyed learning from the program mastering biology; if I did not fully comprehend a topic we discussed in class the program helped me have a better understanding and visuals. The writing assignments have also helped me understand a certain topic more; working with other students in the class has allowed me to have another resource to go to understand the materials. I would recommend this class to any student who is willing to work hard for their grade. I have learned a lot and this class will be very beneficial in my career choice. 3-From Jimmy Trihn Biol 1610 F12 e-portfolio reflection http://jtrinh.yolasite.comJust to start off, I have learned more than i expected in this class. Biology 1610 was really well taught by Professor Sperry. I learned so much even from my mistakes because of the test correction opportunity she gave the students. What I got most out of the class was from the test corrections i did for my test, not only did it gave us (students) a chance to see what we got wrong to correct it but she also took her time answering question one on one with the student.4-Email message from, Biol 1610 F12, Vu Nguyen New message... I learned so many things in your class, biology 1610 isn't an easy subject but having you along made it a little easier to understand. Thank you so much for helping all of us and sticking with us along the way. 5-Email from Jennifer Russell [jbunders@bruinmail.slcc.edu] Sent: Sat 1/26/2013 1:13 AM To: R SperryI just wanted to let you know that I loved your Biology 1090 class last semester. I learned more than I ever have in my life about Biology. I used to say that I hated every science class and that I would never be interested in science, period, but I absolutely loved learning every day in your class last semester. The main reason I am emailing you this, is that I am registered in a Physics 1010 class this semester to fulfill a necessary credit, and my teacher is just.... awful. I am not learning anything and it is so frustrating to waste my money on a class that I won't learn anything from. I was wondering if you teach physics 1010? If so, I would much rather take it from you! Thanks for everything :)6-From eportfolio reflections Katilyn Wahlin http://kaitlynweportfolio.weebly.com/biology-1610.html I have really come to enjoy this semester. All summer long, I had been dreading having to take Biology. I had taken a biology class in high school, and did not enjoy it very much. I never felt like I understood anything my teacher was teaching me, and it was very frustrating. This semeser, though, was different. I know that I still have no desire to become a Biology major, but I do now find biology interesting. This semester, I believe that I was able to understand the majority of the concepts being taught. This allowed me to enjoy what was being taught, and be able to apply the concepts into my own life. I am an avid runner, so the chapters on Cellular Respiration, and the process of fermemtation was very interesting to me. I enjoyed learning about how our muscles used energy, and how we received O2, and released CO2. I also really enjoyed the chapters on genetics, and how we receive certain traits. This semester not only cured me of my dislike for biology, but has allowed me to truthfully say that I find Biology interesting-- not boring or frustrating like before. I am really grateful that I decided to take this course. I know that the concepts I have learned this semester will greatly benefit me in the future.

Exerpts from Online evaluations (Biol 1610 F12)

specific examples of how this class may have been intellectually stimulating

• 7-My favorite features along with the lecture were the "talk amongst yourselves" moments where we would explain what we just learned and the group work.

• 8-This class was intellectually stimulating there was ALOT of material.• 9-She was one of the best professors I have ever had. She was kind and had a lot of passion and enthusiasm for the

subject. She gave every student a fair chance to work hard and get a good grade.• 10-Assignments challenged the student to apply concepts from lecture and text to everyday life, encouraging a

broader perspective of the subject matter.• 11-Liv Sperry's vast knowledge on the subject made class interesting, Her ability to tie concepts together made it

easier to learn the material rather than memorizing facts that are easily forgotten• 12- I really liked the teacher's enthusiasm and preparedness. That helped me to change a subject I thought I would

never take more classes in into a possible major.What aspects of this class contributed most to your learning?

∙13-Sperry's enthusiasm!, Slides presented during class were very informative and detailed, Lectures followed the book, Her ability to answer questions thouroughly, Appropriate amount of time spent on each chapter, Homework was useful in preparing us for…

∙14-The structure of this course promoted all learning types. Whereas one may have benefited most from lecture, I found the online homework and individual reflections the most valuable in terms of comprehension of material.

• 15-The aspect that contributed most to my learning was the online homework with masteringbiology. Not only did it help with my understanding of general concepts but also immensely with test prep.

• 16-Everything. She is an amazing professor. I learn so much in her class and I love having her as a teacher. She cares that your learning and that you understand everything. She is willing to help you with whatever you need.

Comments from anonymous in class course evaluations (Biol 1610 F12)17-Excellent lectures. Test corrections very helpful. Appreciated your willingness to teach me individually. Mastering biology and homework assignments very helpful. Great text. I think the variety of activities, assignments, etc really made the material more meaningful.

18-willing to explain things. Willing to take time out of your day to make sure we succeed. Also made biology really fun even though it was really hard. I can tell you want student to understand and get the info. You were so patient with all of us and it was a hard subject for me so I was grateful for that.

19- the most helpful thing for me was the mixture between the visuals and the explanation, and the “talk to each other” portion. You were an amazing instructor. Not only did I learn more than I thought I would, but you made it very interesting to me. Thank You.

20- You were a hard instructor (u passing class required a lot of work) but I learned so much in this course.

21- I have never had an instructor lecture in a way that made the information interesting and flow as smoothly.

22- You taught in a way I understood and you had a lot of enthusiasm for the subject which was contageous. The class was well prepared. I felt prepared for tests and you love teaching the subject.

23- Very interesting lectures- ties in a ton of real life examples of science in our world, answers in class questions well. Simple explanations that build up through expanded knowledge → little precursors of information that can be used or better understood when further knowledge is acquired. I loved the group writing assignments- the paper allowed me to solidify my understanding (or expansion of) a certain topic, etc through written word. Groups allowed for discussions & corrections. I LOVED lectures. I missed once and felt bad.

24- very approachable for questions on class topics. I liked all the different resources like the online assignments & writing assignments. I liked them because they made you think differently. You are here for students and love what you are teaching. You make lectures interesting and enjoyable.

B: Example of student writing assignment #2: (Keith Knighton, Jared Knighton, Nathan Summers, Biol 1610 Sp 2013)(students identified 4 misconceptions, drew diagrams of cellular respiration and explain how CR obeys the 1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamics)

Question 2 Misconceptions. A misconception that was found while discussing cellular respiration in our group was the exact role that oxygen plays in aerobic respiration. We knew that oxygen was present during aerobic respiration, but we were not quite sure of the exact step or location that oxygen was used. We originally thought that oxygen was required for each step in aerobic respiration. After discussing it further we were able to see that oxygen is used only in the final step of aerobic respiration, oxidative phosphorylation. In oxidative phosphorylation NADH and FADH2 transfer electrons to the electron transport chain and the electrons then move down the chain losing energy in each step until they are finally passed to oxygen reducing it to water. So oxygen ends up being the final electron acceptor in oxidative phosphorylation, without oxygen to accept the electrons the entire chain would back up and aerobic respiration could not take place.Another misconception that we had as a group was what the difference between anaerobic respiration and fermentation was. We thought that anaerobic respiration was the same thing as fermentation. In both anaerobic respiration and fermentation oxygen is not present and so cannot be the final electron acceptor. But in fermentation electrons are not passed onto an electron transport chain, instead the final electron acceptor is an organic molecule such as pyruvate (lactic acid fermentation) or acetaldehyde (alcohol fermentation). In contrast anaerobic respiration passes electrons onto an electron transport chain, with the final electron acceptor being a molecule that is electronegative (although less than oxygen) such as nitrate or sulfate.

A third misconception we had as a group was whether or not the electron transport chain actually made ATP. After discussing it we discovered that the electron transport chain itself does not make ATP; instead it creates a hydrogen ion gradient. As NADH and FADH2 pass electrons into the electron transport chain the electrons attract hydrogen ions into the protein complexes of the electron transport chain and when the electrons are passed from one protein complex to the next, hydrogen ions are moved across the inner mitochondrial membrane from the mitochondrial matrix into the intermembrane space. This causes a hydrogen ion gradient because there are more hydrogen ions in the intermembrane space than in the mitochondrial matrix. This gradient is used by the second step in oxidative phosphorylation called chemiosmosis. In chemiosmosis the transmembrane protein complex ATP synthase functions like a mill, powered by the flow of hydrogen ions. This flow of hydrogen ions generates the energy to place a phosphate group onto an ADP and make ATP. So it isn’t the electron transport chain that makes ATP it is the hydrogen ion gradient that the electron transport chain made that the ATP synthase uses to make ATP.

A final misconception we talked about as a group was the location that the linker step or the oxidation of pyruvate to acetyl CoA took place. We thought that the linker step took place outside of the mitochondria in the cytosol, like glycolysis. However, the linkers step doesn’t take place in the cytosol like glycolysis, but instead it is done inside the mitochondrion. After the glucose molecule is changed into the two molecules of pyruvate during glycolysis, and if oxygen is present, then the pyruvates enter the mitochondrion through a transport protein. The pyruvates must use a transport protein because they are charged molecules and cannot cross the membrane without the transport protein. Once the pyruvates are moved into the mitochondria they are converted into a compound called acetyl CoA by a multienzyme complex that catalyzes three reactions. Accordingly the linker step does not take place in the cytosol with glycolysis, but instead is done inside the mitochondrion along with the citric acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation. Question 3. We know that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be transformed and transferred (1st law of thermodynamics). Sunlight continually inputs energy into plants so they can continue to transform and transfer that energy in order to make it more useful to the plant. The transformation of energy from one form to another requires energy consumption and whenever energy is used some of it is lost through entropy in the form of heat. This energy loss makes it so energy cannot be recycled and therefore necessitates a constant input of energy from sunlight. Converting energy occurs in both photosynthesis (sunlight to sugar) and cellular respiration (sugars, from the plants, to ATP) and both lose energy through heat as they convert/transform energy into different forms. This obeys/supports the first and second laws of thermodynamics.