Bates College

Lewiston, Maine

Dr. Lori Banks

Lori Banks is Assistant Professor, a Molecular Biologist, and Science Education Enthusiast with experience in biomedical research, science curriculum development, and teaching. She considers herself fortunate to share her love of all things science with others at various stages of their education. In those moments, she always aims to incorporate problem-solving and critical thinking activities to maximize learner benefit, whether in the classroom or the lab. She thinks it’s important to share one's failures in addition to the successes so that students have a balanced understanding of the practice of science. Whenever possible, she incorporates community-engaged pedagogy into her courses. She hopes that her students feel empowered to not just be smart, but to use that smartness to change the world. Beyond the lab and the classroom, she focuses her efforts on expanding science literacy in underserved populations and communicating scientific literature to the lay public. Dr. Banks is also a Girl Scout leader and an active member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.

Faculty FEllow ROle

In her role as Faculty Fellow, Professor Banks serves as a proactive resource for Bates College faculty members who want to learn more about Critical Community-Engaged Learning (CCEL), especially in STEM contexts and/or with a focus on racial equity/justice/healing. She also works to deepen and expand partnerships and collaborations with local preK-12 STEM teachers. Finally, she works with colleagues at the college's Harward Center for Community Partnerships to explore models for a "students as colleagues" program to support CCEL courses in STEM.