Biography
Dr. Bryn St. Clair is a science educator and researcher dedicated to improving STEM teaching and learning through evidence-based, student-centered practices. She holds a Ph.D. in Science Education (Biology) from Brigham Young University, where she also earned her B.S. in Botany and Biotechnology.
Dr. St. Clair currently serves as Director and Instructor for the Y-Faculty Institute (Y-FI), a program at BYU that helps post-secondary faculty adopt active learning and research-supported instructional methods.
Research Interests
Dr. Bryn St. Clair’s research centers on how students and faculty learn and teach more effectively in STEM disciplines, with a focus on evidence-based instructional practices, test-enhanced learning, and faculty professional development. Her work explores the cognitive mechanisms that support durable learning in postsecondary biology, particularly how assessment design and incentives influence knowledge retention and higher-order thinking.She also studies the implementation and sustainability of active learning strategies among university faculty, investigating ecological and institutional factors that shape teaching reform. Through her leadership with the NSF-funded STEM Faculty Institute (STEMFI), she applies her research to help instructors transition to student-centered teaching.
Complementing her cognitive and pedagogical research, Dr. St. Clair has contributed to projects in ecological data management and modeling, reflecting her interdisciplinary training in biology, data science, and science education.