Ann Taylor is a Professor in the Chemistry Department. Ann is a graduate of Concordia College in Moorhead MN and earned her Ph.D. from Purdue University. She has served Wabash College as Department Chair, Chair of the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Special Assistant to the President for Covid Planning and Response, and Senior Associate Dean of the College.
When she’s not in the classroom or lab, Ann enjoys running, having people over for dinner, traveling, renovating a Victorian house near campus, and hanging out with her husband and three children.
Education
2019-2020 American Council on Education Fellow, placement at Ball State University
1998 - Ph.D. in Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
1993 - Bachelor of Arts, Concordia College, Moorhead, MN.
Major: Chemistry; Minors: Biology, Math
Recent Course Offerings
Che 101—Survey of Chemistry
Che 106—General, Organic and Biochemistry for Non-majors
Che 111—General Chemistry
Che 361—Biochemistry
Che 461—Advanced topics in Biochemistry (Previous offerings include: Genetic testing and therapy, The Chemistry of Cancer, The RNA World, Determining Structures of Biomolecules, Genetically Modified Foods)
Che 462—Advanced Biochemistry
Freshman Tutorial (previous offerings include Alternative Energy), Enduring Questions
Research
Her laboratory research focuses on plant signal transduction: how do plants recognize and fight off pathogens? How do plants communicate with other plants through secondary metabolites? She is also interested in how students learn. She has authored many case studies and other active learning resources for use in the classroom. Ann is on the editorial review board for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education.
Recent Presentations
Getting stuff done: the DACI model of group project management (2023)Transforming Undergraduate Education in the Molecular Life Sciences meeting, poster abstract selected for talk.
Healthy Campus Task Force (2021) Wabash on My Mind Podcast.
Integrating civic scientific literacy skills in a Biochemistry course (2019) Experimental Biology Orlando, FL. Poster and selected for a spotlight presentation.
Recent Publications
“Athletics”. Ann T.S. Taylor and Rhonda Philips. In Acute Crisis Leadership in Higher Education: Lessons from the Pandemic edited by Gabriela Weaver, Juanita Cole, Kristi Hottenstein, Rhonda Phillips, Kara Rabbitt, and Suzanne Wilson Summers, Routledge, October 2022.
A practical guide to teaching with Proteopedia. (2021) Claudia Castro, R. Jeremy Johnson, Bruno Kieffer, John A. Means, Ann Taylor, Jason Telford, Lynmarie K. Thompson, Joel L. Sussman, Jaime Prilusky, Karsten Theis. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education., 49 (5): 707-719. https://doi.org/10.1002/bmb.21548
Integrating Scientific Literacy Skills into a Biochemistry Course. (2020) Ann T.S. Taylor. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education., 48 (1): 54-60. https://doi.org/10.1002/bmb.21313
Engaging prospective teachers in learning core disciplinary ideas and cross cutting concepts while using scientific and engineering practices in an undergraduate course in biological or biochemistry science. (2018) Ann T.S. Taylor and Joseph W. Shane in Jack Rhoton (Ed.) Preparing Teachers for Three Dimensional Instruction, published by Nat Science Teachers Association, 2018.
Snow White Apples? RNAi Genetically Modified Foods (2017) Ann T.S. Taylor Nat Center for Case Study Teaching in Sci, http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/collection/detail.asp?case_id=956
Enhancing student retention of prerequisite knowledge through pre-class activities and in-class reinforcement (2016) Ann T.S. Taylor, Eric Olofson, Walter R. P. Novak. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education. 45 (2):97-104 doi: 10.1002/bmb.20992
Rice ‘n Beans or Ricin Beans? A deadly swap. Ann T.S. Taylor. National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/files/ricin.pdf, 7/1/16
Honors & Awards
Butler-Turner Alumni Engagement Award Wabash College 2021
American Council on Education Fellow 2019-2020
Leadership Award National Society of Leadership and Success 2019
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education Fellow 2015