Dr. Florence Schmieg

Assistant Professor

Contact

Schmieg

Office: 242 Wolf Hall

Mailing address:
Department of Biological Sciences
Wolf Hall
University of Delaware
Newark, DE 19716

Phone: (302) 831-3533
Fax: (302) 831-2281
E-mail: fschmieg@udel.edu

Go to top of page

Education

B.S., Ph.D.: University of Delaware
Postdoctoral: Wistar Institute of the University of Pennsylvania

Go to top of page

Research Interests

In 1998 I switched the focus of my research from basic laboratory research to research in Science Education. My emphasis is on evaluating group-interactive approaches in undergraduate classrooms. Specifically, I am studying the effect of Problem-Based-Learning strategies on educational outcomes and student attitudes in two courses, Molecular Biology of the Cell and Introductory Biology. The studies thus far have evaluated student progress on learning objectives as self-reported in end-of-term evaluations and have measured correlations of the same to parameters such as the student’s previous experience with Problem-Based-Learning and the level of the class (upper class or Freshman).

The next step this research will take is the evaluation of student learning and critical thinking skills in these courses to determine if these pedagogical approaches improve retention and the ability of students to apply learning to novel situations and to make connections.

A second interest is in the design of novel, inquiry-based laboratory investigations in Molecular Biology. These laboratories would progress gradually toward student-generated projects. These laboratory investigations will contain both wet-lab activities as well as computer data base analysis. I plan to evaluate the outcome of these approaches in the laboratory on student learning and attitudes towards science as I currently do for the classroom activities described above.

A third interest is in premedical education. I chair the Health Science evaluation and advisement committee at the University and am the Director of the Medical Scholars Program. As such, I have developed an interest in examining the curricular and extracurricular experiences that lead to the formation of caring, successful physicians to help fulfill the needs of the country in the decades ahead.

My previous laboratory research interest was in the mechanisms by which mammalian cells control their growth. Specifically, I studied the structure-function relationships of the tumor-suppressor protein p53. This important cellular protein is involved in regulating cell-cycle events that protect cells with damaged DNA from replicating and accumulating mutations. It is also involved in triggering a cellular response called apoptosis (programmed cell death) that causes damaged cells to commit a form of suicide, thus protecting the organism in which these cells reside. Cells allowed to divide with DNA damage can ultimately become malignant cells.

Go to top of page

Current Projects

• PBL workshops and presentations - Each year I present the results of my research in Science Education at the meetings of the at meetings of various scientific societies.

Go to top of page

Teaching

• BISC 207 - Introductory Biology, semester one: This is the first semester of the survey course in Introductory Biology for Biology majors and other science-oriented majors that require some facility with the Biological Sciences. It consists of both traditional lectures and problem-based-learning. A "hands-on" laboratory is also part of the course.
• BISC 401 - Molecular Biology of the Cell. This is the core course for majors in the Biological Sciences.
• BISC 401 Honors - Molecular Biology of the Cell. The content material of this course is similar to the non-Honors course.
• BISC 411 - Experimental Molecular Biology of the Cell. This is a 2 hour inquiry-based laboratory course designed both to introduce modern techniques in Molecular Biology and to foster critical thinking and analysis in the design and evaluation of experiments in the field.
• I am currently the chair of the Health Sciences Advisement and Evaluation Committee of the University of Delaware. As such, I serve as the faculty advisor for students with an interest in pursuing careers in medicine. Students are encouraged to read the information currently online for advice in planning their undergraduate programs and for a description of the University's evaluation process.
• I also am the Director of the Medical Scholars Program, a linkage program with Jefferson Medical College designed to broadly educate future physicians with a humanistic emphasis.

Go to top of page

Selected Publications

Science Education-related

F. Schmieg. 2002. Mad Cows and Englishmen. Problem-Based Learning Clearinghouse, University of Delaware.

R. Donham, F. Schmieg, and D. Allen. 2001. The Large and the Small of It: A Case Study of Introductory Biology Courses, in The Power of Problem-Based Learning, ed B.J. Duch, S.E. Groh, and D.A. Allen. Stylus Publishing, Sterling, VA.

F. Schmieg. 2000. Problem-based Learning Groups in Large Classes: What I Have Learned the Hard Way. Teaching Microbiology Newsletter, American Society for Microbiology, Spring edition, 2000.

F. Schmieg, E. Cataldi, and D. Dries. 2000. PBL Approaches in Honors Molecular Biology of the Cell. About Teaching, Center for Teaching Effectiveness, University of Delaware, Edition 54, Spring 2000.

P53-related

J. Huang, N. Logsdon, F. Schmieg, and D. Simmons. 1998. P53-mediated transcription induces resistance of DNA to UV inactivation. Oncogene 17, 401-411.

J. Zhao, F. Schmieg, N. Logsdon, D. Freedman, D. Simmons, and G. Molloy. 1996. P53 binds to a novel recognition sequence in the proximal promoter of the rat muscle creatine kinase gene and activates its transcription. Oncogene 13, 293-302.

J. Zhao, F. Schmieg, D. Simmons, and G. Molloy. 1994. Mouse p53 represses the rat brain creatine kinase gene but activates the rat muscle creatine kinase gene. Molecular and Cellular Biology 14, 8483-8492.

F. Schmieg and D. Simmons. 1993. P53 mutants with changes in conserved region II: Three classes with differing antibody reactivity, SV40 T antigen binding, and ability to inhibit transformation of rat cells. Oncogene 8, 2043-2050.

F. Schmieg and D. Simmons. 1988. Characterization of the in-vitro interaction between SV40 T Antigen and p53: Mapping the p53 binding site. Virology 164, 132-140.

F. Schmieg and D. Simmons. 1984. Intracellular location and kinetics of complex formation between SV40 T Antigen and cellular protein p53. J. Virol. 5, 350-355.

Go to top of page