NDSU inspiring teacher Kimberly Booth encourages students to continually look for science-based information and seek their own answers.
Kimberly Booth is an outstanding instructor who is an enthusiastic advocate for life-long learning. The assistant professor of practice in the NDSU Department of Biological Sciences is dedicated to fostering that concept among her students.
In her Human Biology and Concepts of Biology courses, Booth encourages her students to continually look for science-based information and seek their own answers.
“My advice to students is to cultivate a growth mindset to make them more effective – and more fulfilled – life-long learners,” said Booth, who joined the NDSU faculty in 2016. “Cultivating a growth mindset includes embracing challenges, focusing on lessons from failures and working hard.”
In her teaching, Booth emphasizes current events that impact students’ personal life choices.
“In my courses, we evaluated the benefits and limitations of COVID-19 vaccines, analyzed safety and efficacy data and discussed the vaccines’ role in getting things back to normal,” she said, noting many students told friends and family about the lesson. “This is a great example of how teaching can expand beyond the classroom to the wider community.
“Teaching is important because it can lead to widespread learning in the community, like a ripple effect in water.”
Booth uses learner-centered practices so students can reflect on their own understanding. A typical class session features modeling, data analysis from case studies, clicker questions and small group ethical discussions.
“I try to make a difference in students’ lives by teaching about socio-scientific issues that everyone should learn about to be scientifically literate,” Booth said. “By learning about biological concepts with immediate relevance, they can develop a scientific lens by which to view today’s societal issues and make informed decisions based on scientific evidence.”
Booth earned her bachelor’s degree and doctorate in zoology from NDSU.