Mailing address:
University of California, San Diego
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093-0314
Email: tbussey@ucsd.edu
Phone number: (858)822-6665
Current position: Assistant Teaching Professor
Institution: UC San Diego (Chemistry and Biochemistry)
Years at institution: 1
Research Interests:
My research focuses on using qualitative research techniques to examine how students (broadly defined) perceive and utilize abstract and/or emergent concepts in science and how teachers and instructional materials designers can use this information to inform the design, implementation, and assessment of science learning environments. These interests include:
Visual Literacy in Science: Students cannot directly observe molecules interacting with one another or their environment. Instead, students are often presented with representations that model particular structures and/or interactions. Therefore, students’ ability to decode these representations is a fundamental process in learning of chemistry, and more broadly in the teaching and learning of science.
Biochemistry Education: My science background has focused on biochemistry. As such, my interests in chemical education research has also focused on biochemistry. Upper-level sciences, such as biochemistry, are underrepresented in the chemical education research literature. My research has focused on qualitative analysis of biochemistry students’ perceptions of biochemical processes such as protein translation.
Nano Science Education: Nano science research is a relatively new field of research (within the last 50 years or so). Nano Science education research is even more recent. We are exploring how researchers think about this emergent field and how best to integrate this topic into the classroom.
K-20 Professional Development: Projects such as MIST (Mathematics Integrated with Science through Technology) and ACELL (Advancing Chemistry by Enhancing Learning in the Laboratory) target middle and high school teachers as well as college chemistry faculty to develop their understanding of science and math content or research-based laboratory pedagogies.
STEM Career Development: Project STEER (Scholarships to Enhance Excellence in the Chemical and Biological Research-based Workforce) aims to track and improve the STEM pipeline from undergraduate STEM majors into the bioscience industry.
Courses taught:CHEM 6A: General Chemistry I
CHEM 6B: General Chemistry II
CHEM 96: Introduction to Teaching Science
CHEM 114A: Biochemical Structure and Function
CHEM 187: Foundations of Teaching and Learning Science
CHEM 188: Capstone in Science Education
Meetings:
13. 249th American Chemical Society Meeting, Denver, CO, April 2015.
12. 23rd Biennial Conference on Chemical Education. Allendale, MI, August 2014.
11. 247th American Chemical Society Meeting, Dallas, TX, March 2014.
10. 245th American Chemical Society Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 2013.
9. 22nd Biennial Conference on Chemical Education. University Park, PA, July/August 2012.
8. 243rd American Chemical Society Meeting, San Diego, CA, March 2012.
7. Gordon Research Conference (Chemistry Education Research and Practice – Foundations and Frontiers), Davidson, NC, June 2011.
6. 2nd Chemistry Education Research Graduate Student Conference, Miami University, Oxford, OH, June 2011.
5. 241st American Chemical Society Meeting, Anaheim, CA, March 2011.
4. 21st Biennial Conference on Chemical Education. Denton, TX, August 2010.
3. 239th American Chemical Society Meeting, San Francisco, CA, March 2010.
2. 42nd American Chemical Society Western Regional Meeting, Las Vegas, NV, September 2008.
1. 20th Biennial Conference on Chemical Education. Bloomington, IN, July 2008.
Presentations:
32. Bussey, T., & Orgill, M. (2015, March). Biochemistry instructors’ perceptions of their classroom use of analogies. Presented at the 249th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Denver, CO.
31. Anzovino, M. B., Bussey, T., Carmel, J., Galloway, K., Harshman, J., Linenberger, K., Moore, E., Reed, J. & Ryan, S. (2015, March). Younger chemistry education scholars (YCES) committee: Who we are and what we do. Poster presented at the 249th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Denver, CO.
30. Bussey, T., & Orgill, M. (2014, August). What do biochemistry students learn from some common external representations of protein translation? Presented at the 23rd Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, Allendale, MI.
29. Orgill, M., Bussey, T., Guzman, M., & Chang, C. (2014, March). Instructors’ perceptions of research-based laboratory pedagogies: The influence of the ACELL workshop. Presented at the 247th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Dallas, TX.
28. Guzman, M., Chang, C., Bussey, T., & Orgill, M. (2014, March). How student-directed should a chemistry laboratory activity be? The influence of the ACELL workshop on instructors’ and students’ perceptions. Presented at the 247th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Dallas, TX.
27. Bussey, T., & Orgill, M. (2013, April). What can biochemistry students learn from some common external representations of protein translation? Presented at the 245th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, New Orleans, LA.
26. Orgill, M., Bussey, T., Asif, M., Sharma, A., Barrows, N., Kay, A., Robb, M., Bodner, G. M., & Gonzalez, B. L. (2013, April). Chemistry instructors’ perceptions of the laboratory learning environment. Presented at the 245th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, New Orleans, LA.
25. Asif, M., Sharma, A., Orgill, M., Bussey, T., Barrows, N., Kay, A., Robb, M., Bodner, G. M., & Gonzalez, B. L. (2013, April). Development and preliminary analysis of the ACELL Orientation to Laboratory Instruction Survey (OLIS). Poster presented at the 245th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, New Orleans, LA.
24. Robb, M., Kay, A., Bussey, T., Orgill, M., & Barrows, N. (2013, April). Bridging the gap: A comparison of students’ high school and general chemistry lab experiences. Poster presented at the 245th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, New Orleans, LA.
23. Kay, A., Robb, M., Bussey, T., Orgill, M., & Barrows, N. (2013, April). Fun and frustration: Students’ perspectives of college-level laboratories. Poster presented at the 245th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, New Orleans, LA.
22. Bussey, T. (2013, March). What can biochemistry students learn from some common external representations of protein translation? Presented at the UNLV Graduate and Professional Student Association Research Forum, Las Vegas, NV.
21. Bussey, T. (2012, July/August). Variation theory: Identifying the significance of difference. Presented at the 22nd Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, University Park, PA. (Invited)
20. Orgill, M., Bussey, T., Litster, M., Wood, S., Crippen, K., Ho, W., & Kern, C. (2012, July/August). Researchers’ perceptions of self-assembly: Capturing a field in scientific revolution. Presented at the 22nd Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, University Park, PA.
19. Wood, S., Bussey, T., Litster, M., Orgill, M., Crippen, K., Ho, W., & Kern, C. (2012, July/August). Researchers’ perceptions of self-assembly: Reactions to visual representations of self-assembly. Presented at the 22nd Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, University Park, PA.
18. Bussey, T., Litster, M., Orgill, M., Wood, S., Crippen, K., Ho, W., & Kern, C. (2012, July/August). Researchers’ perceptions of self-assembly: Reactions to published definitions of “self-assembly”. Presented at the 22nd Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, University Park, PA.
17. Litster, M., Bussey, T., Orgill, M., Wood, S., Crippen, K., Ho, W., & Kern, C. (2012, July/August). Researchers’ perceptions of self-assembly: Differences between life scientists and chemists. Presented at the 22nd Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, University Park, PA.
16. Bussey, T., & Orgill, M. (2012, March). The Intended Object of Learning: What do instructors think students should learn from external representations of biochemistry? Presented at the 243rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Diego, CA.
15. Orgill, M., Barrows, N., Bodner, G. M., Gonzalez, B. L., Bussey, T., & Asif, M. (2012, March). The ACELL project: Advancing Chemistry by Enhancing Learning in the Laboratory. Presented at the 243rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Diego, CA. Invited.
14. Orgill, M., Bussey, T., Litster, M., Wood, S., Crippen, K., Ho, W., & Kern, C. (2012, March). Researchers’ perceptions of self-assembly: Capturing a field in scientific revolution. Presented at the 243rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Diego, CA.
13. Wood, S., Bussey, T., Litster, M., Orgill, M., Crippen, K., Ho, W., & Kern, C. (2012, March). Researchers’ perceptions of self-assembly: Reactions to visual representations of self-assembly. Presented at the 243rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Diego, CA.
12. Bussey, T., Litster, M., Orgill, M., Wood, S., Crippen, K., Ho, W., & Kern, C. (2012, March). Researchers’ perceptions of self-assembly: Reactions to published definitions of “self-assembly”. Presented at the 243rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Diego, CA.
11. Litster, M., Bussey, T., Orgill, M., Wood, S., Crippen, K., Ho, W., & Kern, C. (2012, March). Researchers’ perceptions of self-assembly: Differences between life scientists and chemists. Presented at the 243rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Diego, CA.
10. Bussey, T., Orgill, M., Crippen, K., Litster, M., Wood, S., Kern, C., & Ho, W. (2011, June). Defining a “big idea” in nanoscience: Researchers’ identification of the key characteristics of self-assembly. Poster presented at the 2011 Chemistry Education Research and Practice (Foundations and Frontiers) Gordon Research Conference, Davidson, NC.
9. Litster, M., Wood, S. A., Orgill, M., Crippen, K., Bussey, T., Kern, C., & Ho, W. (2011, June). Life scientists’ conceptions of self-assembly. Poster presented at the 2011 Chemistry Education Research and Practice (Foundations and Frontiers) Gordon Research Conference, Davidson, NC.
8. Orgill, M., Barrows, N., Bodner, G. M., Gonzalez, B. L., Bussey, T., & Asif, M. (2011, June). The ACELL project: Advancing Chemistry by Enhancing Learning in the Laboratory. Poster presented at the 2011 Chemistry Education Research and Practice (Foundations and Frontiers) Gordon Research Conference, Davidson, NC.
7. Bussey, T. (2011, June). Using Variation Theory to access students’ learning of biochemistry from external representations. Poster presented at the 2011 Chemical Education Research Graduate Student Conference, Oxford, OH
6. Bussey, T. (2011, March). Implications of Variation Theory as a theoretical framework for biochemical education research. Presented at the 241st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Anaheim, CA.
5. Wood, S., Orgill, M., Litster, M., Crippen, K., Bussey, T., Kern, C., & Ho, W. (2011, March). Analysis of researchers’ responses to visual representations of self-assembly. Poster presented at the 241st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Anaheim, CA.
4. Bussey, T. (2010, March). Comparing external representations in biochemistry to students’ mental models: Developing a methodology. Presented at the 239th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Francisco, CA.
3. Bussey, T., Crippen, K. J., Kern, C., Litster, M., & Orgill, M. (2010, August). Examining researchers’ perceptions of self-assembly. Presented at the 21st Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, Denton, TX.
2. Bussey, T., & Orgill, M. (2008, September). Identification of pervasive student conceptions of the central dogma and the implications for the development of a concept inventory. Poster presented at the 42nd American Chemical Society Western Regional Meeting, Las Vegas, NV.
1. Bussey, T., & Orgill, M. (2008, July). Identification of pervasive student conceptions of the central dogma and the implications for the development of a concept inventory. Poster presented at the 20th Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, Bloomington, IN.