For many students, introductory science courses are a box to check before moving on to more exciting material. But it’s a different story for students in Chris North’s classes.

North is an instructional professor in the Department of Botany, the associate director of the Life Sciences Program, and the course coordinator for General Biology (LIFE 1010), a prerequisite for many degree programs.

North saw opportunity in a class many might overlook, and his leadership elevated not just his course section, but also the UW Life Sciences Program as a whole.

“Because of the extent of the impact of LIFE 1010 across hundreds of students and dozens of degree programs each semester, I suspect that few, if any, other members of our campus community have had a more broadly beneficial impact than Chris North,” says Jonathan Prather, director of the Life Sciences Program.

In North’s role as course coordinator for LIFE 1010, he has produced short videos that summarize key course content, kept all instructors on the same page, and mentored two laboratory coordinators.

North’s fellow instructors also recognize his skill as an educator. “In our time together, it was easy to tell that Chris was someone who really cared about students, understood how to teach well, and who just ‘got it’ in terms of our task, opportunity, and limitations in a large introductory course and accompanying lab,” says John Willford, assistant director of the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho) Medical Education Program.

North was a fellow in the first cohort of the Learning Actively Mentoring Program (LAMP), a professional develop­ment program that aims to improve active learning and student engagement in STEM classes by evaluating which teaching strategies are most effective.

In addition, North has led a number of projects that provide students with practical research experience, including the Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) program. The CURE program takes undergraduate students through the process of developing a research question, collect­ing and analyzing data, and presenting their findings.

In spring 2024, North received an outstanding educator award from the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources in recognition of his talent for engaging stu­dents, dedication to ongoing education, and leadership within his program and department. Perhaps his greatest contribution, though, is inspiring students to connect to science, even in introductory courses.

This article was originally published in the 2024 issue of Roots & Ranges, an annual magazine published by the UW College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources.