Emmanuel College

Biology

Science Building

 Bette F. Weiss

Bette F. Weiss

Professor of Biology
Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; B.S., Simmons College

Office hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8:00-9:00 a.m., Tuesday, Thursday 9:25 -10:40 a.m.
Other times by appointment

Office: Wilkens Science Center, Room 209-C
Phone: (617) 735-9948
E-mail: weiss@emmanuel.edu

My passion in Biology is helping students experience the joy of discovery, especially how the human body and other organisms work. It is always exciting for me to work with students, whether they are Biology majors performing their first physiological experiment, seniors successfully completing a complex, self-designed experiment, or non-science majors realizing for the first time how fascinating the body truly is.

Current Research

My current professional activity has focused on the field of science education, especially regarding the inclusion of people who have not had encouragement in science or the opportunity of discovery through hands-on science. These groups include girls and young women, under-represented minorities, students in urban settings and the teachers who work with them.

Courses Taught

  • BIOL 1101 - Life on Earth
  • BIOL 1102 and 1103 - Human Biology
  • BIOL 1112 - Biology and Society
  • BIOL 1215 - Introduction to Nutrition
  • BIOL 1501 - Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology
  • BIOL 2113 - Human Nutrition
  • BIOL 2135 - Anatomy and Physiology I
  • BIOL 2137 - Anatomy and Physiology II
  • BIOL 3105 - Endocrinology
  • BIOL 4160 - Seminar
  • BIOL 4194-4195 - Research Internships in the Natural Sciences I - II

Other Professional Activity

  • Exhibit, "Mystery Boxes" at the Museum of Science (1995)
  • "Assessment of Technology" with B. Fischer, Emmanuel College (1997)
  • "Science in the City", Emmanuel College (1999)
  • Presenter at the Elementary Science Teacher Leadership Conference, University of California, Berkeley (2000)
  • Organizer and Director of Enhancing Elementary Science Teaching, A Workshop Exploring Professional Development Through Elementary Science Teacher Leadership For Training Pre-Service and In-Service Teachers, Emmanuel College (2001)
  • Established collaboration in science and technology between Emmanuel College and Mother Caroline Academy, Dorchester (2001)
  • "Emmanuel Students Mentor Inner-City Girls in Science and Technology", Emmanuel College (2001)
  • Established Field Test Center at Emmanuel College/Cambridge Public Schools for Science Education for Public Understanding Program (2001)

Significant Publications/Presentations/Panels

  • B. F. Weiss (1996) contributor to Museum of Science Book of Answers and Questions by A. R. Jones, Adams Media Corporation, Holbrook, MA
  • B. Fischer and B. Weiss (1997) "All that glitters is not gold: teaching liberal arts students how to assess technology" Twenty-Second International Conference on Improving University Learning and Teaching at the Faculdade da Cicade, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Vol. 2, 585-91
  • B. Weiss (2000) "Reflections of a volunteer science educator" The Docent Educator 9:14-16