Impact in Education: Jordan Rowley, PhD

Jordan Rowley, PhD, is the recipient of the Emerging Educator Award. The award recognizes an emerging health science educator who demonstrates excellence, dedication and perseverance in teaching and education early in their career.

• Name: Jordan Rowley, PhD
• Title: Assistant professor, UNMC Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy
• Joined UNMC: August 2019
• Hometown: Payson, Utah

You are the recipient of the Emerging Educator Award. How has innovation played a part in your teaching career?
Bioinformatics is the merging of biology and computer science and is a perfect topic to teach in innovative ways. I have been working to merge a flipped classroom with a workshop style of teaching, all in combination with creation of online interactive educational modules. Using multiple innovative means of teaching allows a greater number of students with various learning styles to grasp the material and gain the skills needed to succeed.

Describe your proudest moment as an educator.
I’m thrilled when students have let me know that my teaching of the material enabled them to pursue their scientific research in a new direction. I have been exceptionally proud of those students where the skills they developed were the missing key that unlocked a discovery. 

What advice would you give other faculty members who want to have an impact in education?
There is no one size fits all in education. Students are individuals and need to be heard in order to foster connections. Using multiple approaches has a greater chance that one method will resonate with each student.

Do you have a favorite quote or philosophy on teaching?
“Education is not to be viewed as something like filling a vessel with water but, rather, assisting a flower to grow in its own way.” – Bertrand Russell