My weekend adventures took me to the beautiful Randolph-Macon College campus for the CRISPR in the Classroom workshop—an incredible experience focused on integrating gene-editing science into undergraduate biology education.
Held in Macon F. Brock Jr. Hall (yes, the co-founder of Dollar Tree Stores and a proud R-MC alum), the setting itself felt like a nod to legacy, innovation, and investing in future generations.
There couldn’t have been a better place to imagine how CRISPR—a tool transforming medicine, agriculture, and environmental science—can be meaningfully taught to undergraduates.
The workshop was led by the ever-energetic Anil Kumar Challa and an inspiring team of facilitators with funding support from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Over three days, 24 educators from various community colleges and universities across the country rolled up their sleeves for case studies, lab protocols, ethics discussions, and collaborative curriculum planning for their respective courses.
🧬 Why bring CRISPR into the classroom?
Because the science isn’t just cutting-edge—it’s foundational. Students need to not only understand these technologies but also engage with the ethical, social, and practical questions they raise. Workshops like this help make that possible.
Left Ashland recharged and reflective.
The team— Donna Pattison, Dawn Carter, Tiffany Hoage, Jay Pieczynski, Latanya Hammonds-Odie, Maria Santisteban, Mike Wolyniak, Nicholas Ruppel, Sara Olson, Charcacia Sanders.
