About Codon Learning

Codon Learning’s mission is to help all students succeed in biology and stay in college. We do this by helping faculty and students apply evidence-based teaching and learning practices, many of which are made easier with effective educational technology.

Dr. Scott Freeman at the University of Washington—who’s known for his education research and leading textbooks—describes us well:

“Before Codon, no one had ever designed a teaching and learning platform that implemented backward design and high-structure course design, much less insights from the cognitive science literature on metacognition and self-regulated learning. They are working at an entirely different level of sophistication than any company I’ve run across.”

Our efficacy studies show that the Codon platform helps all students perform better and that it's having an oversized effect on students who come to college less prepared.

Today, the platform is used in over 750 courses at many different types of colleges and universities. Our funding comes from the National Science Foundation and scientists who care deeply about improving science education.

Board of Advisors

Our Team

Advisors

Our team of advisors brings a wealth of insights into how to scale paradigm changes in postsecondary education.

DR. SEAN DECATUR

Chairman of Codon Learning’s Advisory Board and President, American Museum of Natural History

As the former President of Kenyon College, Dr. Sean Decatur brings first-hand insights into higher-education administration as well as professional expertise in chemistry and biochemistry research, curriculum reform, and faculty evaluation. Throughout his 25-year career, Dr. Decatur has been an influential advocate for inclusive, evidence-based teaching practices and has supported the development of rigorous, data-informed methods for teaching science.

Dr. Saundra Yancy Mcguire

Director Emerita of the Center for Academic Success and Professor Emerita of Chemistry at Louisiana State University

Dr. McGuire is a leader in improving student learning by teaching students metacognitive learning strategies. She works with faculty and students to increase their understanding of the application of cognitive science and learning theory to increasing student academic performance. She is also interested in increasing the number of underrepresented minoritized and women students who pursue careers in STEM. Prior to joining LSU, Dr. McGuire spent eleven years at Cornell University, where she received the Clark Distinguished Teaching Award. She has delivered keynote addresses or workshops at over 400 institutions in 47 states and twelve countries. Her book, Teach Students How to Learn, is a Stylus Publishing bestseller. The student version of this book, Teach Yourself How to Learn, was released in January 2018. She is an elected Fellow of the ACS, AAAS, and the Council of Learning Assistance and Developmental Education Associations. She has won many awards including the 2017 American Chemical Society (ACS) Award for Encouraging Disadvantaged Students to Pursue Careers in the Chemical Sciences; the 2015 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Lifetime Mentor Award; the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE); and the 2007 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring.

DR. SUSAN RUNDELL SINGER

President, St. Olaf College

Dr. Susan Rundell Singer has been a national leader in higher education reform, including serving as Director for the Division of Undergraduate Education at the National Science Foundation, on the NASEM Roundtable on Systemic Change in Undergraduate STEM Education, and as chair-elect for the AAAS Education Section. Previously, Dr. Singer served as the Laurence McKinley Gould Professor in the Biology and Cognitive Science Departments at Carleton College for 30 years, where she had the opportunity to direct the Perlman Center for Learning and Teaching. Dr. Singer is a AAAS fellow and received the American Society of Plant Biology Teaching Award and Botanical Society of America Charles Bessey Award.

DR. GABRIELA WEAVER

Assistant Dean for Student Success Analytics and Professor of Chemistry at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Dr. Weaver is a leader in efforts to improve teaching in STEM higher education through professional development for faculty. She has served as Vice Provost for Faculty Development, and director of the Institute for Teaching Excellence and Faculty Development (TEFD) at the University of Massachusetts. Prior to that, she was a professor of chemistry and science education and the Director of the Discovery Learning Research Center at Purdue University. In addition to her faculty development efforts, from 2004-2012, she directed the Center for Authentic Science Practice in Education (CASPiE), a project dedicated to involving undergraduate students in research experiences. In 2012, she was elected as a AAAS Fellow for her contributions to transforming science education at the undergraduate level. She has been a co-author on two chemistry textbooks, the 2015 book Transforming Institutions: Undergraduate STEM Education for the 21st Century, the 2020 book A Guide to Course-based Undergraduate Research, as well as numerous scholarly articles, book chapters, and reports of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM).

DR. KELLY MACK

Vice President for Undergraduate STEM Education and Executive Director of Project Kaleidoscope at the Association of American Colleges and Universities

Dr. Mack is the Vice President for Undergraduate STEM Education and Executive Director of Project Kaleidoscope at the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). In this capacity, Dr. Mack provides leadership for the organization’s mission level commitments to quality and inclusion through the delivery of world class STEM faculty professional development institutes. Prior to joining AAC&U, Dr. Mack was the Senior Program Director for the National Science Foundation ADVANCE Program while on loan from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore where, as a Professor of Biology, she taught courses in Physiology and Endocrinology for 17 years.

Dr. Mack’s holistic approach to STEM reform is grounded in a strategic vision that foregrounds inclusion as an immutable factor for achieving excellence in undergraduate STEM education. Her leadership in STEM reform has led to: significant increases in the capacity of STEM faculty to implement culturally responsive pedagogies, major shifts in the ways in which leadership development for STEM faculty is delivered, and the expansion of both physical and virtual convening platforms for knowledge generation, exchange, and dissemination.

Recognized as a national thought leader in higher education, Dr. Mack’s work has been highlighted in Diverse Magazine and U.S. News and World Report. Currently, she serves on the external advisory boards for several institutional transformation initiatives at NSF-funded ADVANCE and HBCU Undergraduate Program institutions, as Co-Editor of the ADVANCE Journal Special Issue, and as a member of the Howard University School of Arts and Sciences Board of Visitors. Dr. Mack is also co-founder and chair of the board of the Society of STEM Women of Color, Inc.

MS. CHRISTIE HENRY

Director, Princeton University Press

Christie Henry has served in the nonprofit publishing ecosystem for 26 years. She curated a diverse portfolio of life sciences publications at the University of Chicago Press, where she also oversaw programs in the social sciences and reference publishing. As a member of the Association of University Presses inaugural Acquisitions Committee, she coauthored “Best Practices of Peer Review” and currently leads a task force on “Creating Cultures of Gender Equity and Respect” in publishing. She is a recognized leader in equity and inclusion in publishing.

DR. JOEL K. ABRAHAM

Professor of Biological Science and Director of the Catalyst Center for the Advancement of Research in Teaching and Learning Math and Science at California State University, Fullerton

Dr. Abraham is Professor of Biological Science at California State University, Fullerton and is the Director of the Catalyst Center for the Advancement of Research in Teaching and Learning Math and Science. Prior to his faculty position, he was the Education Coordinator at SimBio, Inc., an education software and research company and a postdoctoral associate with the Scheller Teacher Education Lab at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Dr. Abraham has worked throughout his career to improve teaching, access, and equity in K-16 biology education. His research spans student conceptions in biology, competence in experimentation and graph construction, educational technology in science teaching, and the influence of course interventions on student affect in science. He serves on the advisory board for the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program and Honors Program at CSU Fullerton and has served on boards to promote inclusion and equity at the Ecological Society of America and Organization for Tropical Studies. He is currently a managing editor for the journal Life Sciences Education. In 2020, he was made a fellow of the Partnership for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education (PULSE).

Our Team

ALEXA CLEMMONS, PHD

Director of Product

After realizing her love of all things education while earning her PhD in genetics, Alexa pursued teaching opportunities in a range of college biology courses and eventually accepted a postdoctoral position in biology education research at the University of Washington. In that role, she used surveys, interviews, and round tables to gather input from biology educators around the country on faculty priorities for college curricula. She’s dedicated to helping students develop the skills and expertise they’ll need for modern careers, and she believes that begins by setting priorities in the form of measurable learning outcomes that emphasize higher-order thinking and competencies. At Codon Learning, Alexa is excited to support educators in the challenging but important process of starting with the learning outcomes and working backwards from there. In her down time, she can be found trying new restaurants, walking her dog Xander in the park, and doing crossword puzzles.

ASHLEY ROWLAND, PHD

Director of Customer Experience

Ashley has been with Codon Learning from the start, helping to shape the platform from the ground up. As Director of Customer Experience, she works closely with instructors to design courses that drive positive educational outcomes and collaborates with product and content teams to continuously refine the platform based on instructor feedback and best practices.

Ashley earned a PhD in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at the University of Colorado Boulder and was a Jane Coffin Childs Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California Berkeley. In 2017, driven by a growing passion for education, she transitioned from bench research to biology education. She began postdoctoral research with Lisa Corwin, exploring the factors that influence student participation and success in science.

Having navigated college as a first-generation student from a low-income household, Ashley cares deeply about creating opportunities for students of all backgrounds to succeed. She joined Codon Learning to create courseware that will catalyze the widespread adoption of evidence-based teaching practices known to benefit all learners. Outside of work, Ashley enjoys spending time with her husband, two kids, and their dog, Sammy.

BEN ROBERTS

Chief Executive Officer

Ben became interested in evidence-based teaching after attending the first public Summer Institute on Scientific Teaching. A few years later, he collaborated with Jo Handelsman, Sarah Miller, and Chris Pfund to publish the seminal book on the topic—Scientific Teaching. This foundation inspired him to start Codon Learning, whose aim is to use technology to help faculty and students apply evidence-based teaching practices. Prior to Codon Learning, Ben founded Roberts and Company, a STEM publisher, which was acquired by Macmillan Learning in 2016. He served as VP of STEM for two years. When not in the office, Ben loves to read (mostly science fiction), spend time with Beau (a magnificent Australian Labradoodle), and train for Ironman 70.3 triathlons with his daughter.

ED WILLIAMS

Senior Sales Specialist

Working in Higher Education sales for 2 decades, Ed has experienced the exponential growth of edTech first-hand - from his early days as a publishing rep for Cengage to his tenure as a strategic account manager at multiple STEM-focused start-ups. Excited by software that truly supports the needs of students and instructors is precisely what brought him to Codon. He sees his role here as an opportunity to bolster high structure and metacognitive learning practices to students of Biology. Prior to Codon, Ed spent 7 years aiding Computer Science & Engineering departments at zyBooks, where he discovered his penchant for empowering STEM students early in their rigorous curriculum. And ahead of that, Ed made his entry into STEM at the Chemistry-focused Sapling Learning where his passion for start-ups revealed itself.

Ed is twice a graduate of Clark University where he studied English (BA) and Business Communication (MSPC).

Residing in Providence, Rhode Island, Ed appreciates the proximity to Cape Cod, NYC, and his hometown near Boston. Outside of work, Ed enjoys classic literature, live music, lap swimming, and weightlifting.

ERIN VINSON

Education Support Specialist

Erin started her journey in STEM education as a starry-eyed Ecology undergrad at the University of Georgia. With her love of ecology – she went on to graduate school, earning a MAT for Secondary Science Education, and teaching high school environmental science. Erin’s career path included working as Diversity Programs Coordinator for the Ecological Society of America, in the Adirondacks as an environmental educator with SUNY-ESF, and as coordinator for a dual enrollment program at Eastern Maine Community College. In her previous position at UMaine, Erin worked with discipline-based education researchers, investigating and implementing data-driven professional learning for STEM instructors, focused on evidence-based teaching practices. She also coordinated the Learning Assistant program and was Managing Editor for the journal CourseSource. When not working, Erin loves being outside in any capacity – hiking, backpacking, camping, paddling, and wandering. She lives outside of Bangor with her husband, Mathew, and their dogs Fern and Gunner.

HOPE LALICH, MS

Director of Engineering

Hope is no stranger to STEM education and ed tech. She earned her BS in Physics and Secondary Education, and then spent the next 8.5 years at Sapling Learning and Macmillan Learning wearing various hats ranging from content developer and tech support to software engineer. In 2020 she completed her MS in Computer Science from Georgia Tech. Throughout her education and career, she was often one of very few women among her peers, so she fully understands the fear and frustration felt by many students from underserved backgrounds in STEM. Hope came to Codon Learning to help design and build a reliable and scalable application that delivers quality content to our students and instructors and enables all students to help themselves deepen their understanding, learn study skills in a meaningful way, and achieve a high quality and deeply rewarding education in STEM. Outside of work, Hope enjoys roller skating, doing yoga, spending time outside, and hanging out with her cat, Morley.

JEFF PRINTY

Lead Project Developer

Jeff is our lead project developer, focused on refining the Codon user interface, with an emphasis on accessibility and intuitive user experiences. He started his journey in software engineering by making productivity apps for writers, including Write or Die, a tool designed to compel the user to keep writing, well-regarded by time-constrained dissertation authors and NaNoWriMo participants. Prior to joining Codon he worked for Macmillan Learning, building a central login portal and working alongside a11y specialists on an initiative to create a unified accessible component library. He loves all animals, especially peculiar ones, when he’s not bathed in the light of a screen you can find him Onewheeling around town, looking for bats under bridges and feeding the turtles in the UT turtle pond. Originally from Minnesota, he has long-since fled for the warmth of Austin, Texas where he is involved with the local immersive art and experimental music scene.

JENNIFER KNIGHT, PHD

Chief Academic Advisor

Jenny is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at the University of Colorado - Boulder. She did research in developmental neuroscience and genetics before turning to education. Her work in biology education has been varied and extensive, including developing concept assessments, providing professional development for faculty, and elucidating the impacts of active engagement on student learning. She is a founding member and a former president of the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research (SABER). Jenny was drawn to Codon Learning because she is passionate about changing the paradigm for undergraduate science education by convincing faculty to use evidence-based practices. When not at work, she loves to be outdoors hiking and biking, tending her organic vegetable garden, and enjoying her many farm animals, preferably in the company of her husband and three sons.

KATIE SIEVERMAN, PHD

Director of Content

After completing a B.S. in biochemistry from the University of Texas - Austin, Katie spent eight years as an academic researcher. She worked on projects spanning developmental biology in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, evo-devo in the three-spined stickleback, and membrane trafficking in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Katie ultimately earned a PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California - Berkeley while investigating the intersection of DNA repair and gene silencing in yeast. While in graduate school, Katie realized her love for teaching and mentorship. She transitioned to full-time science education and has held faculty positions at UC - Berkeley, the University of Washington, and Fort Lewis College. Katie also spent 2 years as the Science Content Manager at a small K-12 EdTech company called Actively Learn, which was acquired by McGraw Hill in 2021. Katie loves crafting science content that gets learners stoked about biology, creating inclusive science curricula, and building innovative solutions to meet the needs of a rapidly changing higher ed landscape. Away from her computer, you can find Katie relishing the natural beauty around her home in Durango, CO, while trail running, bike riding, or trying to identify a bird with her Merlin app.

KELLY HENNESSEY, PHD

Education Support Specialist

Kelly has had a lifelong passion for biology! During her undergraduate years, she was a scuba diver for the Seattle Aquarium and spent many Saturdays recording the behavior of California Sea Otters during their Otter Watch program. She graduated with a BS in Biology and went on to teach high school (International Baccalaureate) biology and chemistry. While teaching, she pursued a master’s degree in teaching and learning. With a strong curiosity and a passion for research, she earned an MAT in biology at the University of Washington. This experience solidified her desire to pursue a Ph.D. in Molecular Cell Biology. After teaching for 17 years, she transitioned from high school teaching to research on the parasite Giardia lamblia, focusing on a group of protein kinases with small amino acid residues in the ATP binding pocket. During her time at the University of Washington, she crossed paths with Scott Freeman and eagerly participated in several of his biology education projects, reconnecting with her original love for teaching and learning. Upon completing her Ph.D., she was fortunate to join Scott Freeman as his postdoctoral researcher. As part of an NSF grant led by Scott, she worked with him to develop lesson level learning objectives for introductory biology courses. She’s excited that the learning objectives that emerged from the study are now being used in Codon’s Introducing the Life Sciences course. When an opportunity to join Codon Learning presented itself, she jumped at the chance. She is excited about assisting instructors who aim to enhance their students' metacognitive skills, significantly improve study habits, and enhance the overall learning experience.

LAURA COCHRAN

Director of Sales

After completing her M.A. in Counseling with a focus on School Counseling, Laura found her way into higher ed admissions. She specifically enjoyed her time working as the admissions manager for Arizona State University and witnessing the growth and impact of their online programs. In 2014, she discovered a new passion for edtech in STEM education. As a publisher's representative at Macmillan Learning she loved meeting with chemists, biologists and physicists to discuss their research and approaches to educating college students. After experiencing challenges in STEM courses as a student, Laura became dedicated to bringing evidence-based resources to as many classrooms as possible. Her success increasing sales in her first few years at Macmillan led into a ten year career path in sales and training. Laura is so excited to bring her years of experience in direct sales, sales training and sales management to help Codon Learning grow. Laura lives in Northern Colorado with her husband, three kids and two dogs. When she isn't working, she spends the summer helping her toddlers to build their rock and bug collections and the winter enjoying the Colorado and Wyoming mountains sledding or skiing.

STEPHANIE KUHNS

Lead Content Developer

Stephanie is no stranger to making quality content for college students. She worked in production for 25+ years alongside Kathi Townes, producing college level math and science textbooks. Her primary task was technical (mathematics/calculus/science) typesetting, but she has performed almost every aspect of book production. She excels at developing processes to make large tasks more manageable and loves a good binder with colored tabs for organization. She graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a BS in Kinesiology. When Steph isn’t working she is most likely outside tearing around on her mountain bike, skiing in the backcountry, hiking / camping / backpacking in the beautiful state of Colorado with her dog Moo and her camera, or building something in her woodshop.

Vance Allen

Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer

Vance started his career as a software engineer at eCollege in 1997, where he wrote the first assessment engine for their learning management system. As eCollege grew, Vance honed his skills, focusing on developing the application as a service platform to deliver learning concurrently to millions of students. After becoming CTO, he helped IPO and sell the company to Pearson for $477m. As SVP of Core Platforms at Pearson, Vance played a leadership role in creating a unified platform strategy for postsecondary technologies and in driving the organizational shift to Agile software development. Most recently, he served as CTO for McGraw-Hill Education. Vance holds a BA in Mathematics from Pomona College and a Juris Doctor from the University of Colorado School of Law. He believes that a good education creates opportunities. At Codon Learning, he is passionate about merging technology and content to transform the education experience and bring about greater opportunities for students. When not in the office, Vance is can often be found exploring new wire-framing software or running up mountains with Daisy, Codon Learning’s canine director of workplace wellbeing.

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