Ecology’s Meffert takes home Phi Beta Kappa award

Ecology’s Meffert takes home Phi Beta Kappa award

BY LINDSEY FIELDER
Rice News staff

Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Lisa Meffert’s favorite teaching evaluation starts out, “Even though I have no interest in Dr. Meffert’s fields whatsoever, I’ve got to say that she did an amazing job of holding my attention and getting me to learn her material.”

Meffert

These same sentiments were echoed in many of the teaching evaluations that helped her win the 2006 Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Prize.

Teaching freshman biology is a chance to pass on to students her excitement about the subject matter. “I think learning should feel good,” Meffert said. “And I just love biology. I can’t explain it. It’s just part of who I am — I can’t help but get excited.”

Humor is the best defense against boredom for students, she said. “I like to watch students and see their reactions. If it starts to get a little dry, I know it’s time for a joke.”

The Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Prize is based on teaching evaluations. The committee reads the teaching evaluations of the assistant professors with the highest teaching evaluation numerical scores. “I turned over all of my teaching evaluations from last year,” she said. “I figured it was best to be honest. You can’t get 100 percent glowing reports, but I thought I had a pretty good distribution.”

Dennis Huston, professor of English and president of the Rice chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, said the committee was impressed that Meffert had succeeded in making the material and the class interesting. “A number of students talked about the fact that they did not really like biology, but they found Lisa’s course fascinating. Students talked about her energy and excitement … and her contagious love of the subject.”

Meffert has received e-mails from former students saying she inspired them and changed their minds about science. “If you can win over the enemy, you’ve done it,” she said. “I’m flattered [to win this award]. I feel like I’m doing something important with my life.”

The Rice chapter of the academic honor society will present the award to Meffert at 2:30 p.m. May 12 at a ceremony in Hamman Hall. The awards are given to nontenured assistant professors each year who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to student education in the liberal arts or sciences.