Frances S. Johnson Junior Faculty Innovative Teaching Award

Sara Wright, lecturer in Biological and Biomedical Sciences in the College of Science & Mathematics, passionately involves students in the Rowan Arboretum Project as part of the upper-level "Plant Diversity" elective. The arboretum is believed the be the first built by students for students and the public. A plant evolutionary geneticist, Wright emphasizes the importance of plant diversity for sustainable ecosystems and human health. Wright's work helps students experience their surroundings at Rowan as a "living learning landscape". Students deepen their connection to trees and local plant life through research about tree specimens and instruction. They also create educational materials that were used for the arboretum website and to support the work toward arboretum accreditation. Since Fall 2021, 53 students have contributed materials to the website, and more have engaged with the project inside and outside the course. A student says, "One of my favorite projects was the tree tour project. We could leave a 'footprint' at Rowan because the project will eventually be published for the public eye with our names on it".