Welcome to Daniel-Biology Education Research Group (D-BERG) website. My program focuses on exploring issues in science communication in efforts to make advances in biology education at the collegiate level and informal learning environments. We are a team that actively promotes translational biology education research and outreach efforts to help make science more accessible to all who are interested.
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Dr. Kristy Daniel has traveled across the globe exploring interactions between nature and culture and sharing science stories. She thrives on pushing colleagues and budding scientists to be thoughtful about how they represented themselves and their science through the language and images used when sharing their passion with others. When scientists talk science, what is intended is not always what is understood. Dr. Daniel has built her academic career around exploring issues causing miscommunications and identifying ways to improve science messaging, particularly in educational settings and when using visuals. Dr. Daniel has coached hundreds of people on how to best become messengers of science as they craft Tedx Talks, 3MT competitions, conference presentations, video tutorials, outreach activities, classroom lesson plans, and research defenses. Her goal is to help make biology more accessible to more people by investigating a three-pillar approach to representation, studying: 1) how people understand and communicate their understandings of visual representations of science; 2) how scientists represent themselves and their science to non-scientists (the public and students); and 3) how we can increase representation within science to broader participation. She began this pursuit as a biologist, earning a B.A. in Biology and a M.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology identifying plants and investigating plant-insect interactions. She continues her journey of becoming a discipline-based educational researcher, earning a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, Science Education – College Teaching investigating how people learn and communicate phylogenetic biology. Dr. Daniel is now a Full Professor in Biology at Texas State University.
Dr. Daniel’s mentorship philosophy: “I believe that mentorship is best provided through example and it is my role to provide that example and work towards the best interests of my cultivated research community. I value the philosophy that a mentor works to progressively make him/herself unnecessary.”
We are always looking to expand our crew! If you are interested in applying to join our team, please fill out an inquiry form!
We are currently hiring fully funded doctoral and postdoctoral positions!
Oct. 2022
Dr. Daniel was elected as a Director-at-Large member of the NABT Board of Directors (2023-2024)
We welcome two non-thesis masters students, Brady Pringle and Hannah Baratang, to the lab!
Sept 2022
Lab Alumna, Dr. Jenn Idema, was hired as the Functional Laboratory Coordinator at Texas State University!
We welcome undergrads Zachary Mejia and Raylee Schobel to the lab!
August 2022
We welcome Carolyn Jess (MS), Mallika Saha (MS), and Dr. Danny Ferguson (postdoc) to the lab!