Dr. Julie Glenn

Lecturer & Academic Coach

Office 206

Dr. Glenn teaches several classes for the Division of Academic Enhancement, including UNIV 2113: Developing Literacies in the STEM Fields, UNIV 2301S: Transformative Learning Strategies, and UNIV 2302E/S: Success For Transfer Students. In the summer, she also helps new students adjust to college life through UNIV 1201S: Thrive.

Dr. Glenn’s background is strongest in the biological sciences, having expertise in biology, ecology, anatomy and physiology, environmental science, mammalogy, and ornithology. She is passionate about all the sciences, however, and enjoys the opportunity to learn more about every subject. For her, life is dull unless she is learning something new.

In her free time, she spends time with her husband, two kids, and a myriad of pets. She also loves hiking and reading.

Curriculum Vitae

Education

PhD in Ecology – University of Georgia
MS in Zoology – Auburn University
BS in Biology – Virginia Tech

Awards & Honors

2023 Certificate in Effective College Instruction from The Association of College and University Educators
2011 National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Excellence Award recipient
2010 Ann Matthews Purdy Outstanding Part-Time Faculty Member, Gainesville State College, Oconee Campus (now part of the University of North Georgia)
2005 Nominated for the Mungo Teaching Award at the University of South Carolina (ineligible due to non-faculty status at the time)

Areas of Expertise

Dr. Glenn is interested in the power of recall practice to improve student memory as measured by test performance. She feels strongly about this topic because factual recall is often necessary before a student can move towards higher levels of understanding and creative insight. To that end, she is also interested in the power of mnemonic devices to allow a student to learn more with less effort.

Teaching Philosophy

I believe that knowledge by itself is often useless without the ability to effectively communicate it. Effective communication is about making a series of small connections leading to a big idea. To be a good teacher, I not only have to show my students connections, I have to teach them the skills that enable them to find the connections for themselves. I only have my students for a very short time. And in that time, I want to help them learn how to learn so they have the skills they need to be successful for the rest of their lives.

Guiding students on this journey begins with providing them with opportunities to engage their brains in active learning. Students should have a chance to explore material for themselves, find connections, formulate opinions, and practice expressing those thoughts through speech and writing. But learning is also about being open to other points of view. Simply exchanging thoughts with another person can give us unimagined insights that help us understand the world a little better.

I also know that reaching such higher levels of understanding often requires the hard work of memorization. As someone with an anatomy background, I enjoy teaching my students how the brain works and how to use that information to study smarter—to memorize more with less effort. When students understand how learning works, they are happier and more successful because they form a solid foundation made of strong study habits and good test taking skills. That foundation not only increases success, it increases confidence. And confidence helps our students realize the potential we always knew was there.

Inclusive Teaching Statement

I have been an ecologist my entire life. Thus, ecology’s central tenet is quite dear to me—there is strength only through diversity. In nature, everything is connected to everything else, and that interconnectedness is what makes ecosystems resilient and strong.

It is no different with people. Our identities shape our view of the world and shape the kinds of questions we ask. Watson and Crick could not figure out the structure of DNA until they saw the work of Rosalind Franklin. African American scientists are more likely to study health disparities than their white counterparts. Women are more likely to study education than men. There are 8 billion people on the planet, and we are on our way to 10 billion by the year 2050. If our goal is to take care of our people, we need the strength of all experiences to guide us there. Every voice matters.

Faculty