Sarah Margaret Leupen

Sarah Margaret Leupen is a Teaching Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). She specializes in evidence-based pedagogy, particularly the integration of quantitative reasoning and collaborative learning strategies like Team-Based Learning (TBL). Her roles include teaching undergraduate courses in physiology, medical case studies, and honors seminars. She has held visiting faculty positions at Charles University in the Czech Republic and Ohio Wesleyan University.

Education: Postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School (2002), PhD in Neurobiology and Physiology from Northwestern University (1998), BA in Neuroscience from Oberlin College (1993).

Research Interests: Enhancing quantitative skills in biology education, discourse analysis in TBL classrooms, and flipped classroom strategies. She leads projects funded by the NSF and Hrabowski Academic Innovation Fund, focusing on improving STEM education through interdisciplinary modules and pedagogical innovation.

Awards: Multiple teaching awards include the University System of Maryland Regents Award (2019) and Fulbright Scholar Fellowship (2016-2017). She is a certified Team-Based Learning trainer-consultant.

Grants & Service: Principal investigator or co-investigator on NSF grants (e.g., IUSE initiative) and HHMI-funded NEXUS projects. She chairs assessment committees and co-directs the Biology Teaching Circle. Her service extends to faculty development workshops and community outreach, including prison education volunteering.

Labs/Teams: Active in the NSF-funded Collaborative Research project on quantitative reasoning and the ALEF initiative developing biological simulations. She co-founded UMBC’s Team-Based Learning Interest Group to support faculty adoption of active learning strategies.