CREATE is excited to share that Michigan State University hosted the 2026 annual meeting of the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research (SABER) this July, marking the first time the conference was held outside Minnesota.
When SABER's leadership decided to begin rotating the conference among institutions, Dr. Jon Stoltzfus was approached about bringing the 2026 meeting to MSU.
"The conference committee determined that the STEM Teaching and Learning facility would provide a great venue for meeting activities, and MSU's midwestern location would help keep participants' costs low," Jon said.
The conference brought approximately 400 participants to campus, representing community colleges, primarily undergraduate institutions, and research universities across the United States and Canada.
Sharing Research That Improves Teaching and Learning
True to SABER's motto, "Show Me the Data," presentations focused on evidence-based approaches to understanding how students learn, creating inclusive learning environments, and encouraging the adoption of effective teaching strategies.
Research topics included metacognitive interventions, course-based undergraduate research experiences, student engagement, and faculty teaching practices.
MSU researchers and instructors were well represented. Dr. Melanie Cooper delivered the invited keynote, "Transforming STEM Education Using Theory and Evidence." Dr. Keenan Noyes, a postdoc in Dr. Jennifer Doherty's lab, led a workshop on developing formative assessments that target mechanistic reasoning.
Lyman Briggs faculty member Dr. Shahnaz Masani presented research on supporting critical consciousness in introductory biology, while Dr. Kevin Haudek shared work on human-in-the-loop approaches to using generative AI for assessment scoring.
Bringing Opportunities Closer to Home
Hosting SABER at MSU also made it possible for instructors and researchers who might not otherwise attend a national conference to participate.
Biological Sciences assistant instructors Olivia Beebe and Sarah Spindler, for example, presented research on supporting scientific practices through scaffolded research in introductory biology labs.
"Having this conference at MSU allowed individuals from MSU who typically wouldn't have access to national conferences to participate," Jon said, noting that travel and lodging costs can be significant barriers.
For Jon, one particularly memorable presentation came from Dr. Tessa Andrews of the University of Georgia, whose talk explored why active learning alone doesn't guarantee effective instruction. His biggest takeaway was the importance of creating learning environments that give instructors insight into student thinking—and ensuring they value and use that thinking to improve future instruction.
Looking Ahead to SABER 2027
We're thrilled that SABER will return to MSU July 15–18, 2027, bringing another opportunity for researchers, educators, and students to connect, collaborate, and share ideas for advancing biology education.
We look forward to sharing more as plans for next year's conference take shape!
