Blumer, Lawrence S.

Lawrence S. Blumer  joined the faculty in biology in 1990 and specializes in animal ecology, behavior and research on science learning and teaching.

He earned his PhD from the University of Michigan in 1982 and previously taught at Michigan, The Ohio State University and Kenyon College. Blumer teaches undergraduate courses in ecology, environmental studies, introductory biology, and introductory-level course-based research experience laboratories. His current research is focused on undergraduate laboratory curriculum development, assessing teaching-learning innovation and insect-microbial interactions. Currently, Blumer is co-principal investigator on two National Science Foundation research grants. An Improving Undergraduate STEM Education Grant, Collaborative Research – The Bean Beetle Microbiome Project: A Research-Education Collaboration; and an HBCU-Undergraduate Program Grant, Broadening Participation Research Center: HBCU STEM Undergraduate Success Research Center. Blumer has authored or co-authored 52 peer-reviewed publications including 13 in the past 5 years. In the past 5 years, Blumer has made 16 invited presentations, including faculty development workshops and poster presentations at scientific conferences. He is co-author of a dedicated website for information about the bean beetle model system (www.beanbeetles.org). He was the 2007 recipient of the Vulcan Materials Company Teaching Excellence Award at Morehouse College. Blumer also is a past President of the Association for Biology Laboratory Education (2011-2013).