Assistant Professor of Biochemistry Shanen M. Sherrer participated in the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) Summer Institute June 9-11, 2022 at the University of North Carolina Asheville. This year’s summer institute focused on women faculty in STEM and Sherrer made notable contributions to it. Her most important contribution was co-facilitating a faculty development session on the topic of “Invisible Service” with Wendy Pogozelski, the lead principal investigator of COPLAC’s NSF ADVANCE PLAN grant that sponsored the summer institute. Sherrer also presented a research poster co-authored by Jacob B. Wellek ‘22 titled “Detection and Effects of Heavy Metal Cadmium on Metallothionein Proteins in Oysters (Crassostrea virginica).” This research is based on Wellek's senior capstone project (SMP) in biochemistry, and it established a new experimental model system in Sherrer’s research group that can support the new marine science major at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Sherrer received a professional development award to attend the summer institute and her contributions were well received with some of her content and examples shared in the NSF ADVANCE PLAN Equity Training Workshop for COPLAC Department Chairs from June 14-15, 2022 by the summer institute leadership team.
