The science of role models

When people think of scientists, they may picture white lab coats, advanced technology and complex experiments. Scientists are also often portrayed as distant researchers or rare geniuses, stereotypes that can make a career in science seem out of reach.

Cissy Ballen, an associate professor in the College of Sciences and Mathematics’ Department of Biological Sciences, is studying how these perceptions affect students. Her research lies at the intersection of biology and education.

“The work that I do is aimed at creating undergraduate biology classrooms and learning experiences that help students feel engaged, supported and capable of succeeding in science,” Ballen said.  

Ballen works with large networks of science faculty all over the world to discuss the effectiveness of certain teaching strategies. She then implements courses of action focused on improving scientific learning environments at scale.

Throughout her career, Ballen has studied critical questions about the process of scientific learning, such as the effectiveness of active learning, how to get students to participate, how group work affects performance outcomes and the impacts of high-stakes exams. This year, she received the National Association of Biology Teachers’ 2026 Four-Year College & University Research in Biology Education Award, which recognizes creativity and innovation in research that furthers the understanding of undergraduate biology teaching and education.

Presently, she has turned her focus to scientific role models and their critical function in students’ perceptions of the sciences. She focuses on how students view scientists, and how that shapes whether they can imagine themselves pursuing a career in STEM. 

“We talk a lot about scientist role models,” Ballen said. “My research group found that having relatable role models promotes engagement and persistence in science.”  

However, there’s not exactly a reliable way to measure what makes a scientist a meaningful role model to a student.   

Luckily, Ballen’s work is helping solve this problem. She recently received a grant in collaboration with professors from several other institutions to aid in the research of science education. The grant — awarded by the National Science Foundation as part of their EDU Core Research program — is a four-year collaborative grant between Auburn University and University at Buffalo.

The $1.2 million collaborative project Ballen and her team will be working on is titled “Collaborative Research: Measuring the Impact of Social Models in Undergraduate Science.” The grant will bring $687,000 to Auburn.

Through this project, Ballen’s team is working with Kimberly Quillin of Salisbury University, co-author of the widely used textbook Biological Science. The project will pair the development of a validated research instrument with studies of scientist profiles connected to the textbook. Researchers will use the instrument to measure how different portrayals shape students’ perceptions of scientists.

“A lot of people have said competence is important,” Ballen said. “But it's also really important that scientists can be perceived as relatable, and that their success is seen as attainable.” 

Several researchers with Auburn ties are also heavily involved in the grant. Robin Costello, one of Ballen’s former postdoctoral researcher, is now working on the same grant as a PI and professor at the University at Buffalo. Abby Beatty, a co-PI on the grant, earned her doctoral degree at Auburn with Professor Tonia Schwartz and worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Ballen Lab before taking a faculty position at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. 

“Three out of the four major players on this grant have been really positively impacted by COSAM and the Department of Biological Sciences specifically,” Ballen said.  

Ballen sees the project as an opportunity to extend that impact far beyond Auburn.

“We'll have the potential to reach millions of students,” Ballen said. “We can generate new knowledge and use that knowledge to help more students see themselves as potential scientists.”