Lisa Elfring

Lisa Elfring is the Vice Provost for Assessment, Teaching, and Technology. In this role, she collaborates with university leaders, instructors, academic staff, and students to promote excellent, evidence-based, learning experiences and assessment of learning outcomes. She co-leads the University Center for Assessment, Teaching, and Technology (UCATT), the university’s comprehensive teaching and learning center, with Melody Buckner, Associate Vice Provost of Digital Learning and Online Initiatives.

In her faculty role, Lisa is a specialist in biology education in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and a professor in the BIO5 Institute. Her scholarly work focuses on evidence-based teaching strategies in STEM education and student involvement in authentic research experiences. She is a Fellow in the Partnership for Life Science Education (PULSE), which focuses on helping STEM departments improve student outcomes by aligning with national education-reform initiatives.

Lisa earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and a PhD in molecular, cell, and developmental biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She conducted postdoctoral research in development and cell biology at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before pursuing a teaching career at the University of Arizona. Her love of teaching took root when she taught as a graduate student and worked in science outreach and communication as a postdoc, and she is grateful for the students and colleagues who have provided creativity and inspiration to help her grow as an educator and leader throughout her career.