ANN J. MURKOWSKI received her B.S. degree in Biology from the University of Puget Sound and her M.S. in Molecular and Evolutionary Biology from Western Washington University. She spent seven years as a research scientist in biotechnology for both the University of Washington and a private start-up before returning to her first love, teaching. Ann joined the faculty at North Seattle College in 2002 and teaches a broad range of courses for biology and chemistry majors. Ann is especially passionate about the power of interdisciplinary teaching and learning. She also believes in the transformative power of early research experiences for science students and currently manages several NSF-funded programs to provide research experiences and support to early stage science students.