Tamara Mans

I remember a special biology class assignment I had in high school, to teach a lesson based on an article in Scientific American. I immersed myself in the topic of Panda evolution and molecular techniques that could be used to infer evolutionary history of organisms. I loved diving into a topic's details, sorting through and organizing them into a lesson to share with others. I majored in Biology at The College of New Jersey. I was invited by faculty mentors to do lab research, first analyzing heavy metal uptake and depuration in hard clams, then DNA fingerprinting of rattlesnake skins.  I earned my Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Princeton University, studying the evolution of RNA editing in myxomycete slime molds. I did post-doctoral research at Rockefeller University in Manhattan, interrogating expression patterns in genes of Trypanosoma brucei, parasites that cause African sleeping sickness. 

I’ve been teaching and researching with students for the last 20 years. I hope to give students a strong foundation in biology and develop their strategies for learning and doing science. I have taught at North Hennepin Community College since 2005, including some time with a partner university, offering bachelor degrees to students through our campus. Currently, I teach NHCC's Principles of Biology and Genetics courses for biology majors, and Biology I, which prepares many students for careers in allied health. I also advise the Biomedical Science Club.

My students are active in their learning.  In lectures, students interpret diagrams, examine case studies, discuss scientific papers, and answer questions using an electronic clicker system.  Students practice their skills, reinforce their knowledge, and make connections between concepts. Students participate in CUREs (Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences) in my labs. I am a member of the Genomics Education Partnership (GEP), Malate Dehydrogenase CUREs Community (MCC) and the newly forming Optimizing Undergraduate Research with CUREs (OUR CUREs) Community, national networks of faculty who use collaborative CUREs in our teaching and collect data about the impact of CUREs.