Dr. Lisa Rezende

In this episode, Dr. Amy Graham welcomes Dr. Lisa Rezende for an enlightening conversation about online course development in the sciences. They dive into the significance of outreach for demystifying science to the general public. Dr. Rezende, a former Business major turned Microbiology Ph.D., shares insights into giving students agency in course design and fostering a “should-free” learning environment. She also touches upon her time as the Education Director for FORCE, an organization championing families battling hereditary cancer.

A proud first-generation college graduate, Dr. Rezende earned her B.S. in Biochemistry from California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo and later secured her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She is also a past American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellow, in which she translated scientific research for the public at NPR. Currently, she serves as an Associate Professor of Practice in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, where she also heads the online programs. Among her courses are Intro Biology, Genetics, and Critical Reasoning in Biomedicine.