Working closely with Amy E. Keating, Department Head, Dooyon leads major gifts fundraising, stewardship, donor relations, strategic planning, and alumni engagement for the Department of Biology. She also partners with Biology faculty to highlight research advancements in their labs and to champion the importance of philanthropic support for basic science.
Before joining the Department of Biology, Dooyon served as Senior Major Gifts Officer at Boston University Questrom School of Business and Assistant Vice President at CCS Fundraising, where she advised non-profit organizations on fundraising strategy and management, and capital campaigns. Prior to her non-profit work, she spent over ten years in the finance industry in sales and marketing, business development, and capital introductions roles.
Sarah earned PhDs in Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Sciences from the University of Maine, Orono, where she investigated cushioned-supported phospholipid bilayers with fluorescence microscopy and vibrational spectroscopy as related to non-classical protein secretion from cells. She went on to complete her postdoctoral studies at UC Berkeley in the labs of Eva Nogales and Jeremy Thorner, focusing on septin interaction with phospholipid monolayers using TEM and cryoEM. After honing her core facility management skills at Harvard Medical School, Sarah is now the director of the Cryo-EM Facility at MIT.nano. She and her team are training users on the cryoEM and cryoET workflows and maintaining instrumentation for academic and commercial users to access.
Cesar brings 10 years of facilities and project management experience in MIT’s Department of Mathematics, as well as prior experience in architectural design firms. He holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Northeastern and has pursued studies at the Massachusetts College of Art Design and Rhode Island School of Design as well.
Education
- PhD, 2022, Biology, MIT
- BS, 2016, Biochemistry, Syracuse University
Summary
Tyler Smith earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry from Syracuse University, and went on to complete his PhD in biology at MIT. During this time, he conducted research in the lab of Sebastian Lourido at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and served in the peer support group BioREFS (Biology Resource for Easing Friction and Stress). After graduating in 2022, he began his new role in the Department of Biology as an Instructor for Teaching Assistant (TA) Training and Introductory Biology. He focuses on implementing a program to train and support graduate and undergraduate student TAs throughout their time at MIT. He also collaborates with the 7.01 Introduction to Biology teaching staff to help coordinate the course curriculum.
Awards
- School of Science Spot Award, 2021
- Graduate Research Fellowship, National Science Foundation, 2017
Summary
Daniel earned his PhD from the University of British Columbia, where he investigated the structure of bacterial proteins involved in antibiotic resistance. He went on to complete his postdoctoral studies at MIT’s Koch Institute For Integrative Cancer Research in the lab of Michael Yaffe. Now, as the manager of the Crystallography Lab in Building 68, he performs routine maintenance on the facility’s instrumentation (robotics, X-ray generator, and ancillary equipment), and deals with outside vendors when non-routine repairs are required. He also trains facility users to operate the instrumentation, and instructs them in all aspects of macromolecular crystallography — including screening for crystallization conditions, optimizing crystal growth, preparing crystals for data collection, collecting X-ray data on the MIT home source or at the APS synchrotron, processing X-ray data, and structure solution.
Fellowships
- Schering Plough Research Institute / MIT Biology Postdoctoral Fellow, 2010-2012
- Canadian Institutes for Health Research Postdoctoral Fellow, 2006-2008
- Jane Coffin Childs Postdoctoral Fellow, 2003-2006
Anthony holds a bachelor of science in biology with a minor chemistry from Saint Leo University. At MIT Biology, he works with Vanessa Cheung and Eric Chu to administer laboratory assignments and exercises for undergraduate students in 7.002 (Fundamentals of Experimental Molecular Biology) and 7.003 (Applied Molecular Biology Laboratory). Anthony’s works gives students hands-on experiences in lab techniques, and helps them gain an in-depth understanding of fundamental principles in molecular biology and genetics. He also holds a patent for a method for evaluating and profiling electrodynamic interactions based on genomic response in cells.
Hallie Dowling-Francisco holds a Master’s of Education in Community Engagement and Higher Education Administration from Merrimack College. Prior to arriving at MIT, she worked at Emory University.
As MIT Biology’s Community and Professional Support Specialist, Hallie works directly with students, postdocs, staff, and faculty to identify and implement mechanisms and programs that promote community engagement and professional development. She partners with organizations and groups within the department and across the Institute that have similar missions. She is also a member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA).
Summary
Darcy Gordon earned her PhD in ecology, behavior, and evolution at Boston University. There, she gained extensive teaching experience as a teaching assistant (TA), and served as a mentor to first time TAs. She went on to serve as the program manager for Greater Boston Area Research Opportunities for Young Women (GROW), which placed high school women in STEM lab internships. These experiences with teaching and mentoring shaped her later work as a postdoc at MIT, and continue to influence her now as an instructor developing courses for MIT Biology.
As an instructor of blended and online initiatives, Darcy works within MITxBiology to improve in-person, hybrid, and online learning experiences. She blends her pedagogical and scientific expertise to foster authentic learning experiences online, by creating visual resources and assessments. She is motivated to further the educational missions of the department and institute by broadening participation in teaching and learning biology.
Key Publications
Gordon, D.G., Wiltrout, M.E. (2021). A Framework for Applying the Learning Sciences to MOOC Design. Frontiers in Education. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2020.500481
Education
- PhD, 2018, MIT
- BA, 2010, Chemistry, Florida International University
Summary
As a 7.01 instructor, Monika (Moni) Avello ensures that the two 7.01 (Introductory Biology) classes run smoothly each semester. She designs assessments, supports the students, and promotes the use of digital tools and educational technology for enhancing active and blended learning. She also serves as a sounding board for faculty and teaching assistants to reflect and evolve as educators.
Prior to her role as an instructor, Moni was a Biology Biotechnology Bridge (B3) post-baccalaureate student at MIT and Novartis, and went on to complete her PhD at MIT in the Grossman lab. After graduating in 2018, she became a postdoctoral associate in MITx Biology’s Digital Learning Lab, where she designed online assessments for 7.05x (Biochemistry) and 7.06x (Cell Biology) massive open online courses (MOOCs). She also conducted educational research using learning analytics data from MOOCs.
Explore MITx Biology
Eric Chu holds a PhD in bioengineering from the University of California San Diego (UCSD), and also completed his postdoc there researching microfluidics and single cell multi-omics. He has been a specialist at the University of California, Berkeley, a private consultant in glass device fabrication, and a lab instructor at UCSD. Now, as a technical instructor at MIT, he uses his expertise in biochemical engineering and bioinformatics to plan, create, and regularly update lab-related content for 7.002 (Fundamentals of Experimental Molecular Biology), and 7.003 (Applied Molecular Biology Laboratory). He also manages and trains different undergraduate, graduate, and postdoc teaching assistants (TAs) to lead weekly lab sessions, prepares daily lab materials for the TAs and students, and facilitates faculty discussions in 7.002.
