Dr. Jacqueline S. McLaughlin

Dr. Jacqueline McLaughlin is an award-winning instructor and researcher in the fields of Biology and Biology education. She is an Associate Professor of Biology at The Pennsylvania State University,   Lehigh Valley campus, where she instructs courses in biodiversity and evolution, human physiology, development, and environmental science. Her research has focused on pro-nuclei migration during fertilization, the role of collagen type V in corneal development, and the development of the vertebrate heart.  Presently, her research centers around teaching:  assessing the effectiveness of integrating Web based instruction into the biology curriculum and the professional development of high school teachers using this technology; immersing students in the study of biodiversity through a blended delivery of disciplinary knowledge and experiential field study, and the professional development of teachers who use an experiential learning paradigm to teach environmental science.  In keeping with her endeavors, Dr. McLaughlin has led numerous experiential field courses throughout Pennsylvania, Alaska, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Australia, Peru, Tanzania, China, and Costa Rica, and has gained international reputation for her innovative teaching methods.  Research by McLaughlin has revealed that problem-centered field experiences enhance the student’s knowledge of biodiversity, increase their understanding of how human’s impact ecosystems, and influence how they would make behavioral decisions relative to biodiversity in the future.
 
Dr. McLaughlin developed and directs the CHANCE program. She also acts as editor and lead author of the CHANCE modules. Her homepage is located at http://www.lv.psu.edu/jxm57/ and you can contact her at JShea@psu.edu.
 
Dr. McLaughlin’s CV can be viewed at http://www.lv.psu.edu/jxm57/cv.html
 
Biology Professor Makes the World Her Classroom
The State of the Valley
The Penn State Lehigh Valley Student Newspaper