Clarissa Dirks

Dr. Clarissa Dirks is a member of the faculty at The Evergreen State College. She graduated with a B.S. in Microbiology from Arizona State University, and earned a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Washington. She was a postdoctoral researcher in virology at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and an adjunct faculty member in the Dept. of Biology at the University of Washington. She came to Evergreen in 2006 and is currently serving a two-year term as the Faculty Lead for Assessment and Evaluation before returning to teaching.

As a microbiologist, Dr. Dirks currently investigates the distribution and biodiversity of Tardigrada. As a biology education researcher, she examines undergraduates’ acquisition and mastery of science competencies. She has implemented ongoing programs to improve retention of underrepresented students in science, co-authored several papers and books in STEM assessment and evaluation, and serves as an education consultant for federal agencies. In addition to her research, she provides professional development opportunities for faculty and postdocs by serving as a co-chair of the National Academies Scientific Teaching Alliance Executive Committee and leading the Pacific Northwest Summer Institute on Scientific Teaching. As a member of the National Research Council’s Board on Life Sciences, she helped develop and implement Educational Institutes for Teaching Responsible Conduct of Science for faculty in 15 different countries. As a consultant for NIH, NSF, USDA and VA, she implemented and evaluated the Interagency Collaborative Animal Research Education Academies. Dr. Dirks served as a member of the Editorial Board of CBE-Life Science Education and cofounded the Society for Biology Education Research. She has received awards for the Integration of Art and Science, and was named a National Academies Education Fellow and Mentor in the Life Sciences.