Rachel Kennison, Ph.D.

Rachel Kennison is active in the development of courses and initiatives to improve undergraduate STEM education and provides professional development and training to graduate students, post doctorate scholars and faculty in evidence based teaching practices, mentoring and teaching through diversity. Dr. Kennison earned her B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, M.S. in Clinical Social Work from Columbia University and her Ph.D. in Biology from UCLA in 2008. Her research interests were in the structure and function of southern California estuaries.

As Associate Director for Professional Development and Student Engagement in the Center for Education, Innovation and Learning in the Sciences (CEILS), Dr. Kennison serves as the Program Coordinator for the UCLA@CIRTL program (Center for the Integration or Research, Teaching and Learning), facilitating learning communities for graduate students and post doctoral scholars to learn about evidence-based teaching practices and participate in Teaching-as-Research projects en route to obtain their CIRTL certification.