
Biology Leadership Community
BLC 2025 Keynote Speaker:
Herman Pontzer
Duke University
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Herman Pontzer, Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology and Global Health at Duke University, is an evolutionary anthropologist. He and his lab investigate the physiology of humans and other primates to better understand how ecology, lifestyle, diet, and evolutionary history affect metabolism and health. He is the author of the book, Burn, documenting his research with hunter-gatherer tribes in northern Tanzania and Ecuador, examining the human metabolic response to increased physical activity. He has also written extensively for Scientific American and has a new book, Adaptable, due for publication in March 2025.
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WORKSHOP SPEAKERS
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Keefe Reuther is an Assistant Professor in the department of Ecology, Behavior & Evolution at University of California, San Diego. He teaches a variety of upper and lower division courses at UCSD and created a new required course for biology majors, “Data Analysis and Design for Biologists,” which equips students with practical skills in experimental design, statistics, data science and programming. His research focuses on developing and evaluating generative AI tools and curricula to enhance teaching and learning in biology. When he’s not in the classroom, Keefe enjoys hiking San Diego’s desert mountains, solving puzzles, and embracing the adventure of parenthood with his infant and toddler sons.
Elena Bray Speth is a Professor of Biology at Sant Louis University. Her disciplinary background is in the cellular and molecular basis of plant-pathogen interactions. She has conducted discipline-based education research since 2009. The SLUBERlab focuses on teaching and learning about biological systems in large-enrollment college introductory biology including model-based instruction; assessments that promote and reveal systems thinking; self-regulated learning strategies; and enhancing achievement in introductory biology.
