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Emma Goodwin

Blurred image of the arch used as background for stylistic purposes.
Assistant Professor

Research:

My biology education research group uses qualitative and quantitative research methods to explore three often-intersecting topics: 1) undergraduate research experiences (both faculty-mentored and course-based undergraduate research experiences, or CUREs), 2) diversity, equity, and inclusion, and 3) motivation.

There have been nationwide calls to involve every biology student in undergraduate research, yet the logistical challenges to accomplishing this are immense. Further, the structure of both traditional and course-based undergraduate research experiences have complex and under-studied barriers to equitable student participation. For example, members of traditionally underserved student groups, including low-income students, community college transfer students, and students with disabilities, often each encounter unique barriers to entering and fully engaging in traditional faculty-mentored undergraduate research experiences. My research group aims to explore how we can promote success for these students in faculty-mentored and course-based undergraduate research experiences at universities nationwide.

Finally, considering motivation (of undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and university administrators) is critical to understanding and improving undergraduate biology education. Therefore, much of our research has and will leverage existing motivational theories to understand how we can create inclusive research experiences for undergraduate biology students.

Education:

NSF STEM Education Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Arizona State University (2021-2024)

Ph.D. in Biology (Concentration: Biology Education Research), Portland State University (2021)

B.S. in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, UCLA (2013)

Labs (via personnel):
Labs:
Selected Publications:

Goodwin, E.C., Gin, L.E., Aeschlima, A., Afoakwa, A.K., Allred, B., Avalle, S., Bell, A., Berkheimer, J., Brzezinski, H., Campos, R., Emerson, H., Hess, S.C., Montelongo, A.M., Noshirwani, N., Shelton, W., Valdez, E.M., White, J., White, Q., Wittekind, E., Cooper, K.M., Brownell, S.E. (2024). Who is represented in the research on undergraduate research experiences? A review of literature on CUREs and research in faculty labs in the natural sciences. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 23(2), ar28. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.23-07-0137

Shortlidge, E.E., Gray, M.J., Estes, S., Goodwin, E.C. (2024). The Value of Support: STEM Intervention Programs Increase Student Sense of Belonging. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 23(2), ar23. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.23-04-0059

Goodwin, E.C., Pais, D.C., He, J., Gin, L.E., Brownell, S.E. (2024). Perspectives from undergraduate life sciences faculty: Are we equipped to effectively accommodated students with disabilities in our classrooms? CBE—Life Sciences Education, 23(2). https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.23-05-0094

Shortlidge, E. E., Kern, A. M., Goodwin, E. C., & Olimpo, J. T. (2023). Preparing Teaching Assistants to Facilitate Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) in the Biological Sciences: A Call to Action. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 22(4), es4. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.22-09-0183

Goodwin, E.C., Cary, R.J., Therrien, H., Phan. V., Shortlidge, E.E. (2023) Graduate Teaching Assistants Impact Student Motivation and Engagement in Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences. Journal of Research in Science Teaching. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21848

Goodwin, E. C., Cary, J. R., & Shortlidge, E. E. (2022). Not the same CURE: Student experiences in course-based undergraduate research experiences vary by graduate teaching assistant. PloS one, 17(9), e0275313. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0275313

Goodwin, E. C., Cary, J. R., & Shortlidge, E. E. (2021) Enthusiastic but Inconsistent: Graduate Teaching Assistants’ Perceptions of Their Role in the CURE Classroom. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 20(4), ar66. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.21-04-0106

Goodwin, E.C., Anokhin, V., Gray, M.J., Zajic, D.E., Podrabsky, J.E., Shortlidge, E.E. (2021) Is this Science? Students’ Experiences of Failure Make a Research-Based Course Feel Authentic. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 20(1), ar10. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.20-07-0149

Goodwin, E.C., Cao, J. N., Fletcher, M., Flaiban, J. L., & Shortlidge, E. E. (2018). Catching the Wave: Are Biology Graduate Students on Board with Evidence-Based Teaching? CBE—Life Sciences Education, 17(3), ar43. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.17-12-0281

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