Sarah Balcom, DVM, MS
Principal lecturer and Director of the Undergraduate Program
Department of Animal and Avian Sciences
University of Maryland
Talks and publications
From time to time I have the opportunity to speak on topics related to teaching and learning. I am also a member of a biology faculty learning community called the Host-Pathogens Interaction group which has published several papers and posters. A sampling of that work is listed on this page as well.
Invited presentations on teaching and learning
Presenter. July 2019. “Active learning, authentic practice.” Course Hero, Summer Educators Conference. Redwood City, CA.
Panelist. March 2018. “Challenges and opportunities in Pre-veterinary advising.” Association of American Veterinary Medical Schools, Annual conference. Washington, DC.
Presenter. April 2015. "Teaching Undergraduate and Graduate Students" presentation to the faculty of the UMD iSchool.
Presenter. Mar 2015. “Veterinary Medicine as a STEM career.” Women in STEM program. Crittendon Middle School. Newport News, VA.
Presenter. Oct 2014. “Creating flipped and blended courses” workshop with faculty from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at UMD.
Presenter. Feb 2014. “To Flip or Blend –the Acrobatics of Teaching with Technology.” Center for Teaching Excellence, University of MD, College Park.
Co-presenter. May 2013. “Teaching research in the college classroom.” Center for Teaching Excellence. University of MD, College Park. Video
Presenter. April 2013. “Using concept inventories to improve teaching.” American Physiology Society, Experimental Biology Conference, Boston, MA.
Workshops for my department
Presenter. Feb 2014. “Preparing a teaching portfolio” workshop.
Presenter. Jan 2011. “Using clickers in your ANSC classroom” workshop.
Speaking in other courses
Presenter. Feb 2019. "Animal Welfare Science and Animal Ethics: Where are we now?" For ANSC 453- Animal Welfare and Bioethics.
Presenter. Sept 2018. "Female Reproductive Anatomy." For ANSC 446- Physiology of Mammalian Reproduction. University of MD, College Park.
Presenter. May 2017. "Meat Eating." For ANSC 227- Eating with Eyes Wide Open. University of MD, College Park, May 2017.
Presenter. Sept 2014. “Challenges in modern agriculture.” For ANSC 227- Eating with Eyes Wide Open. University of MD, College Park.
Presenter. Nov 2010 and Nov 2011. “Behavior in a small animal veterinary hospital” For ANSC 456- Applied Animal Behavior, University of MD, College Park.
Presenter. Sept/Oct 2013 - present. "Conducting a neurology evaluation in small animal patients." For ANSC 211- Comparative animal anatomy, University of MD, College Park.
Presenter. Jan 2011, Jan 2012, Jan 2013, Feb 2014. “Critical Thinking in Veterinary Practice.” For ANSC 420- Critical Thinking in Animal Sciences, University of MD.
Publications
Judd, L., S. Balcom, and E. Orlando. (2017) “Comparing Student Learning Outcomes in a ‘Flipped’ Classroom to a Traditional Lecture Pedagogy in Applied Animal Physiology.” ASAS-CSAS Annual Meeting & Trade Show: Teaching/Undergraduate and Graduate Education section. Poster. https://doi.org/10.2527/asasann.2017.723
Stevens, A, A. Smith, G. Marbach-Ad, S. Balcom, J. Buchner, S. Daniel, J. DeStefano, N. El-Sayed, K. Frauwirth, V. Lee, K. McIver, S. Melville, D. Mosser, D. Popham, B. Scharf, F. Schubot, R. Seyler, Jr., P. Shields, W. Song, D. Stein, R. Stewart, K. Thompson, Z. Yang, and S. Yarwood. Using a Concept Inventory to Reveal Student Thinking Associated with Common Misconceptions about Antibiotic Resistance. Journal of microbiology & biology education, 18(1). doi: 10.1128/jmbe.v18i1.1281
Smith, A., Marbach-Ad, G., Stevens, A, Balcom, S., Buchner , J., Daniel, S, DeStefano, J., El-Sayed, N., Frauwirth, K., Lee, V., McIver, K., Melville, S., Mosser, D., Popham, D., Scharf, B., Schubot, F., Seyler, Jr. R., Shields, P., Song, W., Stein, D., Stewart, R., Thompson, K., K., Yang, Z., and Yarwood, S. (2016.). Creating and Sustaining Faculty Learning Communities. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, Tips and Tools Section.
Smith, A., Marbach-Ad, G., Stevens, A, Balcom, S., Buchner , J., Daniel, S, DeStefano, J., El-Sayed, N., Frauwirth, K., Lee, V., McIver, K., Melville, S., Mosser, D., Popham, D., Scharf, B., Schubot, F., Seyler, Jr. R., Shields, P., Song, W., Stein, D., Stewart, R., Thompson, K., K., Yang, Z., and Yarwood, S. (2015). Successful Model for Professional Development: Creating and Sustaining Faculty Learning Communities. In: Weaver, G., Burgess, W., Childress, A. and Slakey, L., Eds. Transforming Institutions: Undergraduate STEM Education for the 21st Century. W. Layfayette, IN: Purdue University Press. Book Website: https://muse.jhu.edu/book/47995
Balcom, S. (2014) Unexpected lessons from flipping my classroom. CTE Teaching and Learning News. July 2014.