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Our History

History

The Center for Scholarship and Teaching began in 2002 to support faculty members in becoming even more effective teachers and scholars, and to provide an environment that fosters collaborative and collegial relationships across disciplines. In 2009 the center was renamed the Jan Serie Center for Scholarship and Teaching in honor of its founding director Jan Serie, O.T. Walter Professor of Biology.

Jan Serie biography

Jan Serie

Janet R. Serie (1952-2008), Ph.D., O.T. Walter Professor of Biology at Macalester College, taught thousands of students and inspired many to pursue professional careers in medicine, biology, and other fields. During her 25-year career of teaching, research, and administration at Macalester, Serie was the recipient of the Minnesota College Science Teacher of the Year Award by the Minnesota Academy of Science and the Four-Year College Teaching Award by the National Association of College Biology Teachers.

Previous Directors

  • Dr. Joan Ostrove, Professor of Psychology (2019-2026)
    • Acting Director Dr. Chris Wells, Professor of Environmental Studies (Spring 2019)
    • Acting Director Dr. Paul Overvoorde, Associate Provost and Professor of Biology (2014-2015)
  • Dr. Adrienne Christiansen, Associate Professor of Political Science (2008-2019)
  • Dr. Jan Serie, O.T. Walter Professor of Biology (2002-2008)

Our Mission

The Center for Scholarship and Teaching has been established to encourage, promote, and support the pursuit of excellence in scholarship and teaching within Macalester’s distinctive urban liberal arts setting by:

  • Supporting faculty scholarship, the cornerstone of a vibrant and engaged intellectual community
  • Promoting excellence and innovation in teaching and advising
  • Seeking ways to integrate scholarship and teaching to deepen and enrich the education of students while promoting a more ‘seamless’ and satisfying professional life for faculty
  • Encouraging and facilitating public scholarship and civic learning as a means of making Macalester a truly ‘engaged campus’
  • Sponsoring special projects that encourage the rediscovery, redefinition, and reinvigoration of the College’s liberal arts mission