Dr. Emily M. Walter
(she/her/hers)
Dr. Walter (she/her/hers) is an Associate Professor of Biology and Director of the STEM Education Center at California State University - Fresno.
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The Walter Research Group is a research lab in the Biology department at CSU Fresno. Our quest is to make science accessible, useful, and meaningful to everyone.
My work centers on designing evidence-based learning experiences that empower people to think about biology in new ways. I focus on connecting people, places, and science through storytelling, with research primarily conducted to help college students and faculty. A key priority of this work is to support sustainability goals and student success by enhancing opportunities for historically marginalized groups in STEM, including women and people of color.
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I am also an experienced STEM education consultant specializing in biology education, inclusive pedagogy, curriculum design, faculty development, sustainable international development, and science communication.
Research Priorities
Research and Initiatives in the Walter Lab focus on:
Storytelling, Culture,
and Multiple Ways of Knowing in College Biology
We research how stories, everyday and local phenomena, and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) can inform how we help people understand biology.
We think deeply on how we can connect science and society. We ask questions like: How can we better explain science so people stay healthy, make smart decisions, or stay in STEM careers? How can we try new approaches for teaching college level science or brainstorm ways to help the public better understand science?
This has resulted in research projects that engage people in science differently. Fish sauce and Southeast Asian culture to teach fermentation? First people and strawberries to teach photosynthesis? Ramadan customs to teach moon phases? You got it.
Broadening
Participation
in STEM
We research how creating the right classroom-level and institutional conditions at universities can support the success of all students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), especially students from historically marginalized groups. We question the way STEM has always been done and encourage meaningful change that helps people not only belong, but also learn more and succeed in college.
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Connecting Biology, Students, and Society
We research ways to help college students (and the people in their lives) build trust and better understand biological ideas, relate to the people of science, and experience the scientific process. We do this by connecting people to the science in their everyday lives, debunking myths about how science works, and teaching skills to identify and dismantle misinformation.
Recent and Upcoming Events
Stay in the loop on upcoming talks, workshops, and collaborations, or explore the highlights from our dissemination adventures
March 2025
Conference Paper:
National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST)
Washington, DC
Exploring Student Outcomes from Creative Assessment "Quests" in a General Education Biology Course through the Lens of the "Hero's Journey"
June 2024
Conference Talk:
Botany 2024
Grand Rapids, MI
Native Plants, People, and Places in Central California: Linking Herbarium Specimen Data to Local Cultural and Linguistic Diversity via Undergraduate Education
October 2024
Conference Talk:
International Conference on Science and Technology Education
Porto, Portugal
Developing University STEM Programs using Culturally Relevant Socio-Scientific Issues
(from collaborative work in Egypt)
May 2024
Conference Workshop:
Central Valley Region Interdisciplinary Symposium on Education Research
Turlock, CA
Fish Sauce, Strawberries, and Moon's Ramadan: Supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through Culturally Responsive Teaching
October 2024
Conference Poster:
International Conference on Science and Technology Education
Porto, Portugal
Networking for Engagement and Re-Design in STEM Teaching (NERDS)!:
Exploring Outcomes from a Faculty Teaching Camp using Applied Improvisation and Storytelling
March 2024
Conference Paper:
National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST)
Denver, CO
Secret Sauce: Southeast Asian Culture as a Lens for Culturally Responsive Teaching in Undergraduate Biology (link)
Land Acknowledgement
The Walter Lab is in California's Central Valley on the traditional homelands of the Yokuts and Mono peoples, whose diverse tribal communities share stewardship over the land
