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Related Link: Department of Biology
By Jeff Austin
For many university professors, making subjects relevant to students' daily lives is an ongoing challenge. This summer, Michael Tansey, an IU Bloomington associate professor of biology, received national recognition for meeting this challenge in -- of all subjects -- mycology, the study of fungi.
"During his lectures, Dr. Tansey brought fungi to life," raved one student whose sentiments were read as Tansey received the William H. Weston Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Mycological Society of America. "He gave these organisms a personality, which helped in my comprehension of an infinitely diverse kingdom."
Tansey, a native of Oakland, Calif., came to IUB in 1971 and has developed a well-deserved reputation as a dynamic instructor and expert on the ecology and biology of fungi.
His approach involves using multiple mediums designed to engage all of the students' senses and, in Tansey's words, "evoke emotions, change ambitions and stimulate attitudes."
"Lectures need abundant visual stimuli: slides, videos, film loops, color transparencies and prints, and spectacular specimens," Tansey said. "Big, bright, odoriferous, beautiful specimens, refrigerated until the last minute . . . that's what we need."
Beyond visual stimuli, Tansey believes that much of effective teaching is in the details -- clearly outlined labs, a detailed lecture syllabus and carefully prepared exams.
His exams are so exacting that they were featured in a recent textbook on the subject, Developing and Using Tests Effectively. He has also served as a speaker on test design in programs for new faculty.
When Tansey came to IUB, only a dozen or so undergraduate students took mycology; the number of students in this elective course is now up to about 160 per year.