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Susan Hester, PhD

Associate Professor of Practice, Molecular and Cellular Biology
College of Science
Susan Hester

2026 University of Arizona Foundation Leicester and Kathryn Sherrill Creative Teaching Award

Dr. Susan D. Hester is an Associate Professor of Practice in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Arizona. She holds a PhD in Physics (Biophysics) from Indiana University Bloomington and a BS in Physics (summa cum laude) from Arizona State University, bringing unique interdisciplinary expertise to biology education.

Dr. Hester joined UA in 2011 as a postdoctoral scholar on an HHMI-funded project integrating mathematics and biology. Her work developing approaches to improve biology students' mathematical reasoning remains highly cited. After postdoctoral research in developmental biology, she dedicated herself to undergraduate biology education, applying rigorous research methods to creating transformative learning experiences.

Her most visible innovation is the "semi-flipped" redesign of MCB181R (Introduction to Biology, 350+ students), transforming large lectures into collaborative learning communities where students analyze real research data and engage in authentic scientific reasoning. This approach halved the course's D/F/W rate while maintaining rigorous standards.
Her most transformative innovation is the Authentic Inquiry through Modeling in Biology (AIM-Bio) curriculum, where students develop and test their own models rather than following prescribed protocols. Published research demonstrates AIM-Bio significantly increases learning and engagement while reducing equity gaps. The curriculum has been adopted across all UA introductory biology labs (~2000 students/year) and at Michigan State University.

Dr. Hester exemplifies the teacher-scholar model, publishing in CBE-Life Sciences Education, Journal of College Science Teaching, and College Teaching. She serves as Research Co-Lead on a $100,000 CUES grant studying how teaching teams support student success. Her excellence earned the 2023 College of Science Distinguished Achievement in Science Education Award and promotion to Associate Professor of Practice in 2025. She serves as MCB181R Course Director, chairs undergraduate program assessment, reviews for four education journals, and has influenced curriculum development nationwide.