Kerri Augusto is a professor of psychology at Becker College in Leicester/Worcester, Mass. She received her Ph.D. from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1995, and has over 15 years experience teaching undergraduate psychology to both majors and non-majors. She has written extensively in the area of parent-child relations, authoring a monthly column for Bay State Parent Magazine, and contributing to Newsweek and Adoption Today. She is the author of the novel, Strawberries in Winter (Samhain, 2009). In her recent collaborations with Drs. Susan Whitehead and Joan-Beth Gow, she has merged her passions for psychology and creative writing and has rediscovered the joy of learning outside her discipline. Integrated teaching has reinvigorated her curiosity and infused her teaching with dynamism and relevance.
Joan-Beth Gow is an assistant professor of biology at Anna Maria College in Paxton, Mass. She received her Ph.D. from Clark University in 1995 and has over 20 years experience in teaching and research in the biological sciences. At Anna Maria she teaches a variety of courses including General Biology, Genetics, Human Genetics in Society, Microbiology, and Medical Terminology. Dr. Gow’s current research interests on case study teaching methodology directly inform how learning takes place in her classroom. She has a passion for fostering an enthusiasm for science in non-majors and case studies bring in a real world application that helps accomplish this goal. More recently she has extended her interest in case study teaching to interdisciplinary case-based teaching. Together with colleagues Susan Whitehead, Ph.D. and Kerri Augusto, Ph.D. at Becker College, she has co-authored two case studies along with extensive teaching notes which have been accepted for publication by the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Buffalo, N.Y. In addition, she and her colleagues have presented their work at the New England Faculty Development Conference and the 11th Annual Conference on Case Study Teaching in Science.
Susan M. Nava-Whitehead is an associate professor in science and education at Becker College, in Worcester/Leicester Mass. She joined the Becker community in 2002 after receiving her Ph.D. from Boston College. Prior to Becker, Susan served many years as associate director for Nature´s Classroom Environmental Education program. During her time with Nature´s Classroom she had a vast range of responsibilities; but, one of her most fulfilling was that of teacher education and she had opportunities to work as an educational consultant both at home and abroad. She particularly enjoyed her experiences in adventure-based programming and leadership; it illuminated for her the concept that education occurs across and within many environments. In 2007, Susan was invited to participate in a “by invitation” workshop with the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, which was the final catalyst for her current educational direction, integrated learning. In collaboration with Dr. Joan-Beth Gow of Anna Maria College and Dr. Kerri Augusto of Becker College, Susan has published case studies along with extensive teaching notes which utilize the integrative methodology. The team has presented their work at NEFDC Conference, NCCSTS´ Fall Conference and will present at The Teaching Professor Conference this May.
