Faculty Spotlight: Jenny Dauer

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Jenny Dauer
Jenny Dauer

About Jenny Dauer:
I have always been interested in both education and science. My B.S. was in secondary education and biology at Penn State University and I was certified to teach high school in Pennsylvania. Afterwards I worked at the Franklin Institute Science Museum before returning to Penn State for a master's in ecology. I went on to a Ph.D. studying calcium cycling in forests at Oregon State University. Throughout my Ph.D., I knew I wanted to return to the education world, which I managed to do during a post-doc at Michigan State University. I’m grateful to have always been able to find an incredible opportunity with each step in my career despite moving between fields. 


What is your position at UNL?
At UNL I am an assistant professor of practice in science literacy. I teach the introductory course for all of the freshman in the College of Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources, and LIFE 121. I do research that helps reveal learning challenges for students when reasoning and making science-informed decisions about complex socioscientific issues. My hope is that my research is used to improve science teaching for students at an undergraduate level.


What drew you to UNL?
UNL is one of the few universities that has made a strong commitment to hiring discipline-based educational researchers. So, there is a fantastic community of like-minded researchers in several departments who are studying undergraduate teaching and learning. 


What aspect of working in an educational setting do you enjoy the most?
I enjoy lots of aspects of working in an education system, but one aspect that is really growing on me is teaching. I still get just nervous enough to get an adrenaline boost (no coffee needed!) and after class enjoy a nice “teachers’ high.” 

What is something that most people don’t know about you?
I ran an ultra marathon (60K) and loved every minute of it. I’ve been to Machu Picchu twice (during 9/11 I was hiking the Inca Trail).


What is your life like outside of work?
I love playing with my 13 month old, and watching him learn his first words (“socks” and “hot!”). My husband, Joe, and I enjoy being outside (running, skiing, hiking, gardening) and cooking. Sometimes I have been known to play the piano or the clawhammer banjo.

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