Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Marta Frisardi – SPHP Program

Dr. Marta Frisardi is an instructor with UNE Online’s Prerequisites for Health Professions program. Here’s a little bit more about her professional experience, how she engages her online students, and how she feels that her courses prepare her students for life after school.

Can you tell me a little bit about your background and what drew you to teaching at UNE Online?

I have been teaching and consulting in biology, microbiology and genetics courses for universities, colleges, and community colleges for more than 27 years now. I initially got involved at UNE when I was asked by professors at the medical school to design a Microbiology course with a lab for the online program.

What do you teach right now?

Right now I teach the one online course that I designed for UNE – Microbiology for the Health Profession (BIOL 1020). I also designed the Genetics (BIOL 1040) course. Each course provides thorough coverage of its subject with lab topics reinforcing the lecture material.

What is your favorite aspect of the Microbiology course you teach?

My students are able to express themselves and talk about the science that they have learned throughout the course on our discussion boards. The discussion topics connect our course content to current research and events in the field, and students are encouraged to identify and critique scientific issues relating to society or ethics.

In your teaching, how do you foster a sense of community among your online students?

The students naturally foster a sense of community through their online discussion board posts. The subjects are topical and compelling enough that, although the course syllabus requires just three responses, most students continue the conversation with their peers for many more responses beyond this number. I find that my students bring their varied experiences and knowledge to their discussion board conversations, which in turn broadens and deepens the exchanges between the students.

How do you feel that you prepare your students for life after finishing these classes?

At the completion of both of the courses I designed, Microbiology and Genetics, students will have mastered a body of knowledge that allows them to comprehend developments in each field using the scientific literature, to use specific sources of information to continue their learning beyond our course, and to “speak the language” of each subject.

What do you feel sets the UNE Online Science Prerequisites apart?

Both the Microbiology course and the Genetics course were designed using best practices. Microbiology was “backward designed” using the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Curriculum Guidelines, and Genetics was designed following the recommendations of the Genetics Society of America (GSA) Core Concepts and Core Competencies.

What do you like best about working with UNE Online students?

They are a varied and fascinating group of students!

If you are interested in the Prerequisites for the Health Professions class offerings or if you would like more information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to an enrollment counselor via email at prehealth@une.edu or by phone by calling (855) 325-0894 if you were to have any questions.

Ready to start right now?  Click here to register for a prerequisite class today!