Alison Doubleday is awesome!

Dr. Alison Doubleday, brand new assistant professor of anatomy at the University of Illinois at Chicago (and my neighbor!) was recently awarded a Curriculum & Instructional Grant through the UIC Council for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. The program provides seed money for faculty initiatives designed to enhance the quality of teaching and learning at UIC. Alison's project is titled Improving Learning in the Human Gross Anatomy Lab; she has enlisted the assistance of several dentistry students to produce prosected cadaver specimens, plastinated organ specimens, and videos documenting the process. These videos will be used to build a series of online learning modules which will incorporate video, animations and static images as well as self-test features to help students learn anatomy. Alison's success is a good reminder to become familiar with similar curriculum initiatives at your own institutions. These institutional grants can be valuable for tenure by demonstrating your commitment to the teaching mission of your school. Way to go, Alison! (Meet you for drinks on the deck later?)