Defelice named Eberly College assistant dean for curriculum and teaching

Meredith Defelice, teaching professor and associate head of undergraduate education in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has been named the Penn State Eberly College of Science’s assistant dean for curriculum and teaching, effective June 1.

Defelice has been associate head of undergraduate education in the biochemistry and molecular biology department since 2020, prior to which she was the department’s associate head of undergraduate affairs (2017-2020) and director of curricular affairs (2014-2017). 

In the department, Defelice has led curriculum development efforts, mentored faculty, and facilitated the creation of new courses and research opportunities — including expanding Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs), collaborating with other faculty to increase research accessibility for students, particularly first-year and change-of-campus students — and she has actively contributed to the broader academic community through more than a decade of service on the college’s Undergraduate Education Advisory Committee, including one year as elected chair. 

She has also been a lead facilitator in the Evidence-Based Teaching Academy, active in the development of the Learning Assistant Program, and served on the advisory board of the Center for Excellence in Science Education (now the Cada R. and Susan Wynn Grove Center for Excellence in Science Education).

Defelice has received the college’s Distinguished Service Award (2021) and C.I. Noll Award for Excellence in Teaching (2015), the University’s George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching (2014), the Center for Excellence in Science Education’s Tombros Fellowship (2013-2014), and the biochemistry and molecular biology department’s Paul M. Althouse Teaching Award (2012).

In her role as assistant dean, Defelice will report to and collaborate closely with Jennelle Malcos, associate dean for undergraduate education, and will be responsible for coordinating all aspects of the college’s undergraduate course and program curriculum, aligning teaching and curriculum with the college’s goals for student learning and success.