Meet the Catalyst Team

Kelly Hennessey brings a rich background in the education field to her role here at Catalyst. Kelly is no stranger to the classroom, earning a B.S. in Biology, an M.A. in Teaching and Learning, an M.S. in Biology Teaching, and a Ph.D. in Molecular Cell Biology throughout her academic career. She also spent 17 years teaching at the high school level as well as eight years at the university level, where she taught introductory biology labs, functional genomics, cell and molecular biology, advanced cell biology, and cellular anatomy (histology). 

Kelly’s publications include four peer-reviewed parasite biology/infectious disease papers and one peer-reviewed meta-analysis about the narrowing of the achievement gap for underrepresented students in STEM. As our Biology Lab Curriculum Program Manager, Kelly’s vast experience in scientific research and teaching is invaluable to our team. 

We asked Kelly five questions to get to know more about her and her time here at Catalyst Education. Here’s what she had to say:

1. What brought you to Catalyst Education?
   I pursued a Ph.D. in Molecular Cell Biology after teaching middle school and high school biology for over 16 years. While in my Ph.D. program, I became very interested in biology education research. I met passionate science educators who used evidence-based teaching practices to help their students achieve success in very large courses. 
   
   When I heard about Catalyst Education, I immediately saw the potential for its use in large biology lab courses as a way to deliver exemplary lab content, provide consistent and equitable grading for instructors and teaching assistants, and positively impact the learning of many thousands of students.

2. What do you like most about working in this field?
   I love seeing how students’ lab experiences and learning benefit from our efforts.
   

3. How do you think technology helps improve learning?
   It opens doors that are not possible otherwise. Our platform is incredibly easy to use. Autograding features help teaching assistants and instructors spend more time interacting with students and less time grading. Our platform also greatly improves the consistency with which instructors and teaching assistants assess student work. Collectively, these benefits improve student learning and the overall lab instruction experience.
   

4. What do you hope to see in education in the future?
   I’d like to see technology increase accessibility to education (including online learning options) to those who cannot afford or physically attend college. 

5. Who was your favorite teacher growing up and why?
   Dr. Peggy Hudson. She was my advisor in college and my favorite undergrad biology teacher. She always believed in me. She was a very soft-spoken person with a gentle demeanor and had a way of making every topic interesting. I ended up taking quite a variety of classes from her because I enjoyed her teaching style. She was the kind of instructor who was incredibly accepting and who you wanted to make proud of your accomplishments.

Kelly has always been a person who has wanted to “do more” for students and give them the very best science learning experiences. At Catalyst Education, Kelly is able to help make that possible for students at a wide range of higher education institutions. As we continue to grow and expand our offerings, we’re thrilled to have someone with her extensive knowledge and experience on our team.