Anna Newman-Griffis

She/Her

I am bi and I am a biology educator.//

I am a plant cell biologist by training, and in my PhD I studied how the movement of the nucleus within root cells impacts how legumes form symbiotic interactions with soil bacteria called rhizobia. Over the course of my PhD, I discovered that my interests lay primarily in education, so after I graduated in late 2018, I pivoted to a career in science education.

I have taught Biology at the college level ever since, working at small and community colleges, as well as large universities, and am now an Assistant Professor at Durham University. I now pursue research in pedagogy, and am particularly interested in how to help undergraduates build resilience and critical thinking skills. 

As a cis bisexual woman, my orientation is often invisible. Representation in the classroom is so important; my hope is that, by being out, I can inspire the next generation of queer scientists.