DR. JOHN L. COFFIN
Hi folks! Thanks for checking out my page!
I’m a science teacher at Washburn Rural High School in Topeka, KS. I have a PhD in Biology from Kansas State University, two Bachelor's degrees from the University of Georgia, and am currently pursuing a Master's degree in Education from Fort Hays State University. As you can probably tell, my life's passion is for teaching and learning about the world around me.
During my PhD, I studied the mechanisms that generate and maintain the incredible array of biodiversity that we see around the world, focusing on how reproductive isolation evolves in fish living in extreme environments. In addition to teaching, I now spend my time conducting in-class research about how to improve biology education. I am passionate about teaching students and mentoring the next generation of scientists in the lab. I aim to continually improve my teaching abilities by incorporating multiple teaching strategies into my lesson plans so that ALL students, regardless of their background or previous abilities or knowledge, can succeed in my class. My ultimate goals for teaching are to improve the scientific literacy of my students to make them more informed citizens, and to inspire them to consider careers in evolutionary biology.
I'm glad you've found my page! Here, you’ll find all the details of my life as a science educator, from teaching successes and fails, to research and outreach efforts, to some of my vain attempts into photography and videography. I’d love to hear what you think!
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY, BIOLOGY
KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
August 2017 - July 2022
Advised by Dr. Michael Tobler
3.85 GPA
Thesis: Causes and consequences of adaptation to extreme environments
Studied mechanisms of ecological speciation in extreme environments by identifying and quantifying reproductive isolating barriers in populations of Atlantic mollies (Poecilia mexicana) experiencing divergent selection due to toxic hydrogen sulfide.
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE, ECOLOGY
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
August 2013 - May 2017
Advised by Dr. Jeb Byers
3.62 GPA
Thesis: Predicting oyster larval settlement and growth using remotely sensed data.
Studied spatial interactions between two ecosystem engineers, the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) and marsh grass (Spartina alterniflora). Developed sensors for field deployment to predict oyster larval settlement and survivorship.
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE, INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES: MARINE SCIENCE
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
August 2013 - May 2017
Advised by Drs. Merryl Alber and Brian Binder
3.62 GPA
Completed concurrently with the B.S. degree in Ecology.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2022 - date
SCIENCE TEACHER, WASHBURN RURAL HIGH SCHOOL
Teach 9th-12th grade students using research-backed best practices. Focus on meeting the needs of all learners. Have taught general biology, honors biology, and environmental resources and wildlife science.
2017 - 2022
GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT
KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY, DIVISION OF BIOLOGY
Supervisor: Dr. Michael Tobler
Worked to understand the evolution of reproductive isolation between sympatric populations of Atlantic mollies (Poecilia mexicana).
2016-2017
UNDERGRADUATE ASSISTANT
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, DEPARTMENT OF HORTICULTURE
Supervisors: Drs. Savithri Nambeesan and Anish Malladi
Aided in greenhouse breeding experiments to improve shelf-life, nutrient concentration, and fruit size in apples, bell peppers, and tomatoes.
2013-2017
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, SCHOOL OF ECOLOGY
Supervisor: Dr. Jeb Byers
Studied spatial interactions between two ecosystem engineers, the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) and marsh grass (Spartina alterniflora). Developed sensors for field deployment to predict oyster larval settlement and survivorship.
2015-2016
POULTRY ANIMAL CARETAKER
POULTRY DIAGNOSTIC AND RESEARCH CENTER
Supervisor: Brent Lovern
Managed health and care of poultry animals involved in population health studies for the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.
SKILLS
TEACHING
I have two years of teaching high school biology and five years of college teaching experience. I have used several different teaching strategies, including storylines and flipped classrooms, to facilitate student learning.
STATISTICAL ANALYSES AND PROGRAMMING
I have extensive experience analyzing large multivariate datasets, using primarily the R programming language, but also have experience with Python and Matlab. I also am proficient in general unix-based command line operations for remote high performance computing.
MENTORING
I have successfully mentored numerous undergraduate students since beginning my PhD at Kansas State. Students whom I mentor gain valuable skills in field-based data collection, programming for data analysis, and presentations.
FIELD AND LABORATORY TECHNIQUES
I have been trained in many basic laboratory techniques for the analyses of RNA and DNA from live animals. My experience is particularly substantial in relation to animal care and dissections, DNA and RNA extractions, PCR and elecrophoresis, and RNA-seq library preparation.
