Dr. Teresa Balser

Biography

Dr. Teri Balser is currently a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Calgary, where she has spent 15 years in senior executive leadership roles. She has worked in multiple countries and has served as the Provost and Vice President (Academic) at the University of Calgary, as well as the Interim President, Provost and Vice-President Academic at Dalhousie University. Additionally, she was the Dean of Teaching and Learning at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, and the Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Florida in the United States, and a professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Dr. Balser has a graduate degree in Biology and Earth Sciences from Dartmouth College, a Ph.D. in Soil Microbiology from the University of California at Berkeley, and completed postdoctoral research in ecosystem ecology at Stanford University. She is recognized for her contributions to the field as an environmental scientist and has been honored with the NSF Early Career Award. Dr. Balser is also a Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America and has received numerous accolades, including the USDA National Excellence in College and University Teaching Award in 2009. She is a noted advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion in STEM education and co-founded the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research (SABER).

Research Interests