Patricia J. Pukkila, founding director of the Office of Undergraduate Research at UNC, will be recognized for her leadership in advancing science education by the American Society for Cell Biology.
Pukkila, a professor of biology and an expert in fungal genomics, was named the 2007 recipient of the Bruce Alberts Award for Excellence in Science Education. She was chosen for her exceptional contributions to undergraduate science education at the local, state and national level.
Pukkila also was honored for her efforts to make undergraduate research a key part of UNC’s Quality Enhancement Plan for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools reaccreditation.
In 1996, Pukkila established a special education section of the journal, Genetics, the primary journal in the genetics field. The section has provided a scholarly showcase for innovations in teaching and learning genetics. Pukkila is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and she serves on the education committees for two major scientific societies.
In 2001, Pukkila focused her educational efforts on both students and legislators. She initiated biannual, multi-campus undergraduate research symposia for the North Carolina state legislature. The ongoing symposia enable students to convey their excitement and the importance of their original work to elected officials.
Pukkila will receive the Alberts Award at the society’s annual meeting Dec. 2 in Washington, D.C., where she will discuss “Catalyzing Changes in Undergraduate Science Education.”
“Professor Pukkila has had a truly remarkable impact on undergraduate education, having become a national leader in the effort to include inquiry-based education and undergraduate research in our nation’s science curriculum,” UNC biology professor Kerry Bloom wrote in a nomination letter. “She has had a longstanding interest in teaching scientific reasoning to undergraduates and has shown exceptional creativity in incorporating exercises that emphasize a scientific approach to solving problems …”