Kenton Hokanson is an instructor in Microbiology and a Research Associate in Biochemistry & Biophysics. He received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from UCSF in 2017, and currently teaches classes, advises, and directs the Electrophysiology Facility to support neuroscience and cell biology research at OSU. He participates in a number of initiatives designed to increase equity and inclusion at OSU, such as the MB department's Core Values committee, the Beaver Connect program, and helping to develop the Bridging the Gap from Education to Employment pilot program.

With IE@OSU, Kenton implemented intentionally-assigned groups in his large Bacc Core lab science course. He developed a pre-course survey and a computer script to form groups of students in a way that ensured that students with racial or gender identities that have historically been underrepresented in science would not be isolated, as they might be in groups formed randomly or by student choice. He then focused on creating high-quality group assignments, and classroom norms that encouraged equitable and productive group dynamics. Student feedback has indicated that the vast majority of students feel that their groups value their contributions, and Kenton continues to work to improve group work as a key form of active learning in his class. Kenton found IE@OSU's emphasis on affective learning outcomes and data-driven pedagogy extremely valuable, and the program has meaningfully impacted his course.

Education

Ph.D. Neuroscience