Christina Schmidt

Christina came to Cornell in 2020 to work with the Active Learning Initiative to develop and implement high impact pedagogical practices into Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Integrative Plant Science, and Entomology courses. Prior to Cornell, she was an Associate Professor of Biology at a small liberal arts college where she designed and taught several courses and laboratories, oversaw undergraduate research projects and engaged in numerous forms of academic service and public outreach to promote student success and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

She earned her PhD in Biological Sciences at Auburn University (Alabama, USA), where she investigated bone metabolism as a driving factor in life history trade-offs in mammals, and then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pretoria (Gauteng, South Africa), where she studied oxidative damage as a physiological cost of reproduction in Damaraland mole rats.

As the Director of the Office of Curriculum Development and Instructional Support, Christina collaborates with faculty and staff to create inclusive and engaging learning environments where students are challenged to think and grow, and she is dedicated to identifying and removing institutionalized obstacles for students, staff and faculty from historically excluded and marginalized populations.