Lauren A. Easterling, PhD

Bio

Lauren Easterling is clinical-track faculty in the Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiology and the Director of Trainee Services for the Graduate Division, serving graduate students and postdoctoral scholars at IU School of Medicine.  Her scholarship and work focuses on the following areas:

1. Preparing PhD Students & Postdocs for Future Teaching Faculty Roles through facilitating our annual teaching and learning institute for biomedical science trainees, our year-long University Teaching Learning Community, and one-on-one support of research trainees interested in developing their teaching skills. Dr. Easterling also is the course director for GRDM-T721 (Teaching and Learning in the Life Sciences) and GRDM-T751 (a teaching assistant practicum in the life sciences).

2. Designing and Managing CareerDevelopment for Biomedical Scientists
Through programs, learning resources, facilitating career groups, and one-on-one consultations with MS/PhD students and with postdocs. This includes developing and teaching career development workshops/webinars, leading science career focused learning communities, and supporting graduate students with internship and other experiential learning related needs

3. Consulting with faculty and staff on the design of programs, courses, professional development and other learning experiences
Through direct work and consultation with program faculty and staff, service on the IUSM Graduate Curriculum Committee and the IUSM Graduate Oversight Committee, and serving as the curriculum specialist for the Division

4. Researching how social status, identities, and levels of influence can impact learning in STEM education environments
In her work and her own scholarship Dr. Easterling focuses on graduate future faculty development activities and how individual and group identities, statuses, ranks, and levels of influence may impact learning. Building off of her dissertation work on faculty teaching development activities, this is a growing area of scholarship for her and is now focused on graduate students and postdocs in the life sciences.

Key Publications

Easterling, L., & Byram, J. (2022). Shifting language for shifting anatomy: Using inclusive anatomical language to support transgender and nonbinary identities. The Anatomical Record, 305(4), 983–991. https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.24862

Easterling, L. (2022). Collaborative Faculty Development Activities in Higher Education Institutions: An Activity System Analysis (Order No. 29169745). Available from Dissertations & Theses @ CIC Institutions; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global; ProQuest One Academic.

Easterling, L. (2022). Teaching as a Transferrable Skill. Carpe Careers, InsideHigherEd.com. Published on October 24, 2022. Retrieved from: https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2022/10/24/teaching-key-skill-can-be-applied-almost-any-job-opinion

Easterling, L. (2022). Job Searches After Finishing Your PhD or Postdoc in Mid-life. Carpe Careers, InsideHigherEd.com. Published on March 21, 2022. Retrieved from: https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2022/03/21/advice-those-who-obtain-phd-or-postdoc-midlife-opinion.