BRIE TRIPP, PhD

Positionality

As an able-bodied, cis-gendered, white woman in academia, I have witnessed the racial, gender, and socioeconomic homogenization that accompanies advancement through the ranks. This narrowing of representation reflects the structural inequities embedded within Western institutions, where longstanding systems of privilege and exclusion continue to shape who gains access and whose contributions are valued. I am critically aware that the culture of science not only mirrors but actively reproduces these inequities, which maintain environments that marginalize individuals who do not conform to dominant Eurocentric norms. As an educator and researcher, I hold the privilege and responsibility to continually push against these injustices by creating spaces that promote justice and and center the voices of students from underserved backgrounds. This is what drives my teaching and research.

 

Background

I obtained my PhD in Biology from Portland State University with Dr. Erin Shortlidge, where I conducted biology education research related to interdisciplinary curricular design and the measurement of undergraduate science students' ability to address real-world problems through an interdisciplinary lens. I also leveraged critical science paradigms to explore faculty's perceptions of the barriers to interdisciplinary work in academia and ways to move the field forward toward more equitable partnerships across disciplines.

 

My postdoctoral scholarship through San Francisco State University with Dr. Kimberly Tanner centralized on investigating inclusive curriculum in anatomy and physiology education and exploring faculty's perceptions of language used to teach biology content.

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Current Research & Teaching

As an Assistant Professor of Teaching in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior at UC Davis, my current research explores a variety of topics related to how undergraduate science students learn best and ways to create equitable and inclusive classroom environments for students.

 

I currently teach a variety of courses related to human physiology and neurobiology of mental illness. My teaching background includes a wide range of science courses and course-based undergraduate research experiences at the undergraduate level from anatomy and physiology, to microbiology, chemical ecology, and advanced cellular and molecular research techniques.

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