In this episode of GridgeFridge, we sit down with Ryan Stowe, an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Stowe earned his bachelor of arts in chemistry from Albion College in 2010 followed by his PhD in chemistry from the Scripps Research Institute in 2016. Stowe’s research involves reforming science education to make it more accessible to students and their community goals, including the removal of unnecessary courses for student progression.
While enrolled in graduate school, Stowe became a Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Fellow with the Board of Science Education at the National Academy of Sciences. Later, he joined Professor Melanie Cooper as a postdoctoral fellow for three years, working to support student engagement in chemistry both inside and outside of the classroom.
Stowe believes in a new age of science that doesn’t prioritize the typical “weed out” classes that push students to abandon their dreams of becoming a doctor, a dentist or even a scientific researcher. We’ll explore concepts related to research, equitability in the classroom and how to utilize scientific phenomena beyond graduation.
If you’re interested in learning more about Stowe’s research and his work within chemistry education, and how you can support his community-engaged approach, visit Stowe’s website.