Washington, DC—May 28, 2008—The 2008 American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Carski Foundation Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award is being presented to Jeffrey C. Pommerville, Professor of Biology and Microbiology, Glendale Community College, Arizona. This award recognizes an educator for outstanding teaching of microbiology to undergraduate students.
Dr. Pommerville has devoted considerable time and energy to working across the disciplines in science and math to develop a more integrated approach to science education. His dedication in this area garnered a three-year $1.1 million Systemic Reform in Science grant from the National Science Foundation, which funded the coordination of math and science faculty at Maricopa Community Colleges to design and implement interdisciplinary science teaching across ten colleges. He has taught, mentored, and encouraged hundreds of students in their introduction to microbiology. In 2003, he received the Ohaus Award for Innovations in Science Teaching from the National Science Teachers Association. In 2006, he was honored as Instructor of the Year at Glendale Community College for exceptional instruction and mentoring. Dr. Pommerville is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, National Association of Biology Teachers, and National Science Teachers Association. He is also a member of the ASM, for which he is former Chair and current Advisor for the Undergraduate Education Division.
Dr. Pommerville received his B.A. in Cellular and Organismal Biology and his Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
The Carski Foundation Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award will be presented during the 108th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), June 1 – June 5, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. ASM is the world's oldest and largest life science organization and has more than 43,000 members worldwide. ASM's mission is to advance the microbiological sciences and promote the use of scientific knowledge for improved health and economic and environmental well-being.