People

Dr. Jackie Shay is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her interdisciplinary work bridges biology education, equity-focused faculty development, and community-engaged teaching. Rooted in a joy-centered pedagogy, Shay’s research and practice examine how inclusive and experiential learning environments, such as course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), field-based courses, and reflective writing, support student flourishing, especially for historically excluded students in STEM.

As a first-generation college graduate and mother-scholar, Shay’s engaged scholarship is deeply informed by lived experience and critical pedagogies. Her current projects investigate emergent outcomes in equity-focused faculty development, explore institutional transformation through the Shared Equity Leadership framework, and co-develop tools to assess joy as a pedagogical asset in higher education. She is also a lead organizer of Joy Jam, a faculty initiative that cultivates community and sustainable teaching practices across campus.

Shay collaborates across disciplines to advance equity, access, and student agency in biology education. Her recent work integrates conservation biology, ethnobotany, and the cultural dimensions of science through experiential coursework. She is a co-author of a chapter in Joy-Centered Pedagogy in Higher Education: Uplifting Teaching and Learning for All and continues to support joy-centered pedagogy through a survey tool and faculty development. Through public scholarship, curricular innovation, and faculty mentorship, Shay works to broaden participation in STEM and foster inclusive ecosystems of learning that empower both students and educators.