Lisa K Elfring

Biography

I have been in love with biology since I was four years old, when I would look through my mother's nursing textbooks and ask about what the pictures meant. High-school and undergraduate research projects opened my eyes to the excitement of biology research, and my fascination with how animal embryos develop led me to graduate and postdoctoral research in genetics, molecular biology, and cell biology using the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as my experimental organism. 

As I worked in biology research, I realized the most rewarding parts for me were the interactions I had with students and the general public, helping them understand how my work related to big questions in biology. This led me to pursue a teaching pathway. I was fortunate to work early in my career with middle- and high-school biology teachers; I helped them increase their understanding of biology and science research, and they guided me, with patience and feedback, to strengthen my skills in applying evidence-based teaching strategies. I eventually taught undergraduate biology classes in biochemistry, molecular, and cellular biology to a broad range of learners. 

I have now taught at the University of Arizona for over 27 years, engaging with students including high-school interns, first-year college students, medical and graduate students, and everyone in between. I spent many years working to improve learning in large-enrollment introductory-biology courses and teaching smaller classes that helped students to find their own voices and pathways in the life sciences. It always makes my day when I hear from a former student who shares how they are using what they learned in their chosen profession. 

In 2016, I moved away from most of my teaching to lead the University of Arizona's Office of Instruction and Assessment, which supports the entire University community of instructors by providing technical tools, training, and support in using learning-assessment data to improve teaching. It has been a tremendous honor to work with this talented group of people to build teaching capacity across the University of Arizona. We recently merged with another unit and became the University Center for Assessment, Teaching, and Technology (UCATT), and I am excited by the opportunities this merger has opened up to provide more seamless support for instructors in all aspects of their teaching journey.

 

Degrees

• Ph.D. Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology
• University of California, Santa Cruz, California, United States
• Genetic and molecular analysis of the Drosophila brahma (brm) locus
• B.A. Biology
• University of California, Santa Cruz, California, United States

Awards

• Henry and Phyllis Koffler Prize for Excellence in Teaching
• University of Arizona Provost's Office, Fall 2024
• University of Arizona Women of Impact
• University of Arizona Office of Research, Innovation, and Impact, Fall 2024
• UA Honors College Excellence in Teaching Award
• University of Arizona Honors College, Spring 2016
• University of Arizona College of Science Galileo Circle Copernicus Award
• University of Arizona College of Science, Spring 2016
• AAAS/American Physiological Society BioScience Ed Net Fellowship
• American Association for the Advancement of Science/American Physiological Society, Spring 2012
• UA College of Science Distinguished Advising Award
• University of Arizona College of Science, Spring 2011
• Arizona BioScience Educator of the Year
• Arizona BioIndustry Association, Fall 2010 (Award Nominee)
• American Society for Microbiology Biology Scholars Research Residency
• American Society for Microbiology, Spring 2010
• Mortar Board Faculty Recognition Award
• Mortar Board Honorary, Spring 2008
• UA College of Science Excellence in Science Education Award
• University of Arizona College of Science, Fall 2007
• National Academies of Science Education Fellowship in the Life Sciences
• National Academies of Science, Summer 2005
• American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship
• American Cancer Society, Spring 2005