Dr. Suzanne Oppenheimer has been recognized as College of Western Idaho's (CWI) Faculty of Distinction for October 2019.
Oppenheimer, an Assistant Professor of Biology, has been at CWI since 2010. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wollongong in Biological Sciences. Before joining CWI, she was a Visiting Assistant Professor at the College of Idaho and adjunct professor at Saint Michael’s College and Occidental College. She has a long and varied list of research experience, publications, and posters which cover topics such as behavioral endocrinology, behavioral ecology, physiological ecology, and conservation biology.
Each summer, she leads the Idaho INBRE Research Program at the College. The program gives students the chance to immerse themselves in scientific research for two weeks. They delve deeply into the research project and carefully investigate a research question. Last summer students researched the effects of social media on people and they found it reduced stress levels.
“Suzanne is an excellent teacher who works hard to explain difficult material clearly and prepare students to do well on exams," her nomination noted. "She has a sense of humor and makes her classes interesting. She is passionate about human biology and passes that on to her students.”
