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Laura Almstead

Senior Lecturer

PRONOUNS She/Her

Laura Almstead smiling at the camera
Pronouns She/Her
Alma mater(s)
  • Ph.D. 2007, Stanford University

BIO

My love of science started early, and as a kid I could be amused for hours measuring and mixing things to see what happened (marshmallows + baking soda + food coloring + oven = one big mess!). This interest led me to an undergraduate degree in chemistry with a concentration in biochemistry, and from there I turned to cell biology. My Ph.D. and post-doctoral research focused primarily on viruses, looking at alterations to spliceosome components during poliovirus infection and epigenetic changes in Human Papilloma Virus infected cells associated with induction of cellular senescence. During my post-doc research, I developed a passion for teaching, and I am currently a Senior Lecturer in the Plant Biology Department with a secondary appointment in Nutrition and Food Sciences. An avid baker with a background in chemistry, I’ve also been a food scientist by hobby for most of my life. My current interests lie in using food as a lens to teach basic scientific concepts and developing hands-on activities that allow students to see, taste, smell, and feel these concepts in action while also gaining skills in experimental design, data analysis, and data presentation. The classes I teach span a wide range of topics. Kitchen Science, an integrated class-lab course I developed that’s required for Nutrition and Foods Science (NFS) majors in the Food Science concentration, explores the chemistry, physics, and biology concepts that explain why foods do what they do in the kitchen. It’s the outcome of my excitement for food science and love of working one-on-one with students as they conduct experiments. My newest course, an Honors College Sophomore Seminar, uses food science as a way to build and reinforce experimental design skills. Introduction to Biochemistry is an upper-level course for NFS majors that helps students build a foundational understanding of the metabolic processes that explain many nutrition-related questions. Principles of Biology 1 and 2 are large classes taken by students with a wide range of backgrounds and goals. In these classes I strive to create an inclusive classroom experience that fosters active, engaged learning, and to spark – or fan the flame – of students’ interest in biology.

Courses

BCOR 011 Exploring Biology

BIOL 1400/1450 Principles of Biology

HCOL 186 Science in the News

HCOL 2000 There's Science in my Food

NFS 1072 Kitchen Science

NFS 2183 Introduction to Biochemistry

NFS 187 Introduction to Biochemistry: Lab (course director)

NFS 243 Advanced Nutrition

Awards and Achievements

Carrigan Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and Advising, 2017 Nominated for Kroepsch-Maurice Excellence in Teaching Award, 2013 and 2015

Area(s) of expertise

  • Promoting student engagement in large introductory science courses and curricula development, particularly focusing on teaching of cell biology, biochemistry, and food chemistry

Bio

My love of science started early, and as a kid I could be amused for hours measuring and mixing things to see what happened (marshmallows + baking soda + food coloring + oven = one big mess!). This interest led me to an undergraduate degree in chemistry with a concentration in biochemistry, and from there I turned to cell biology. My Ph.D. and post-doctoral research focused primarily on viruses, looking at alterations to spliceosome components during poliovirus infection and epigenetic changes in Human Papilloma Virus infected cells associated with induction of cellular senescence. During my post-doc research, I developed a passion for teaching, and I am currently a Senior Lecturer in the Plant Biology Department with a secondary appointment in Nutrition and Food Sciences. An avid baker with a background in chemistry, I’ve also been a food scientist by hobby for most of my life. My current interests lie in using food as a lens to teach basic scientific concepts and developing hands-on activities that allow students to see, taste, smell, and feel these concepts in action while also gaining skills in experimental design, data analysis, and data presentation. The classes I teach span a wide range of topics. Kitchen Science, an integrated class-lab course I developed that’s required for Nutrition and Foods Science (NFS) majors in the Food Science concentration, explores the chemistry, physics, and biology concepts that explain why foods do what they do in the kitchen. It’s the outcome of my excitement for food science and love of working one-on-one with students as they conduct experiments. My newest course, an Honors College Sophomore Seminar, uses food science as a way to build and reinforce experimental design skills. Introduction to Biochemistry is an upper-level course for NFS majors that helps students build a foundational understanding of the metabolic processes that explain many nutrition-related questions. Principles of Biology 1 and 2 are large classes taken by students with a wide range of backgrounds and goals. In these classes I strive to create an inclusive classroom experience that fosters active, engaged learning, and to spark – or fan the flame – of students’ interest in biology.

Courses

BCOR 011 Exploring Biology

BIOL 1400/1450 Principles of Biology

HCOL 186 Science in the News

HCOL 2000 There's Science in my Food

NFS 1072 Kitchen Science

NFS 2183 Introduction to Biochemistry

NFS 187 Introduction to Biochemistry: Lab (course director)

NFS 243 Advanced Nutrition

Awards and Achievements

Carrigan Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and Advising, 2017 Nominated for Kroepsch-Maurice Excellence in Teaching Award, 2013 and 2015

Areas of Expertise

  • Promoting student engagement in large introductory science courses and curricula development, particularly focusing on teaching of cell biology, biochemistry, and food chemistry