Nancy Boury, Ph.D.
Iowa State University
Nancy Boury, Ph.D., earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from Wartburg College. She then earned a master’s degree in medical microbiology and immunology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Ph.D. in molecular, cellular and developmental biology from Iowa State University.
She has taught at Iowa State University since the fall of 1998 and served as the microbiology program advisor from 1999-2015 before joining the department of plant pathology and microbiology in 2016 as an assistant professor, with an emphasis on teaching and the scholarship of teaching and learning research.
Boury regularly teaches introductory courses in biology, genetics and microbiology. She uses case studies to connect course content to current events and to communicate science in a wide variety of contexts. In the fall of 2019, she created and taught a new course: "Preparing for the Next Pandemic: Living in a One Health World." Six short months later, in March 2020, the world was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. When students reported losing internships because of COVID-19 precautions in the summer of 2020, she created a digital internship focused on ASM’s scientific thinking competencies that is still being used to teach undergraduate students scientific literacy skills.
Boury’s research program is focused on the continuous improvement cycle of student learning by refining learning objectives, assessments and student activities. This includes using game-based learning, developing concept inventories to reliably measure student learning and mentoring other instructors on active learning strategies.
Boury was recognized for her contributions in education with the 2022 ASM Carski Award for Undergraduate Education.
She has taught at Iowa State University since the fall of 1998 and served as the microbiology program advisor from 1999-2015 before joining the department of plant pathology and microbiology in 2016 as an assistant professor, with an emphasis on teaching and the scholarship of teaching and learning research.
Boury regularly teaches introductory courses in biology, genetics and microbiology. She uses case studies to connect course content to current events and to communicate science in a wide variety of contexts. In the fall of 2019, she created and taught a new course: "Preparing for the Next Pandemic: Living in a One Health World." Six short months later, in March 2020, the world was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. When students reported losing internships because of COVID-19 precautions in the summer of 2020, she created a digital internship focused on ASM’s scientific thinking competencies that is still being used to teach undergraduate students scientific literacy skills.
Boury’s research program is focused on the continuous improvement cycle of student learning by refining learning objectives, assessments and student activities. This includes using game-based learning, developing concept inventories to reliably measure student learning and mentoring other instructors on active learning strategies.
Boury was recognized for her contributions in education with the 2022 ASM Carski Award for Undergraduate Education.