{"id":32627,"date":"2025-07-02T12:04:51","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T19:04:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/?p=32627"},"modified":"2025-10-21T16:23:44","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T23:23:44","slug":"born-to-teach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2025\/07\/02\/born-to-teach","title":{"rendered":"Born to teach"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A teacher. A motivational speaker. A therapist. In high school, these were the careers Dr. Bryan White was most interested in exploring. Today, as a teaching professor at the University of Washington Bothell\u2019s School of STEM<\/a>, he draws from all three of these passions.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am so lucky in that I kind of get to use all three hats here at UW Bothell,\u201d White said. \u201cI love being in a position where I can just help a lot of people who are dealing with the stressful environment of college to manage that and excel and be their authentic self.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He teaches biology and neuroscience, but his teaching legacy extends well beyond science. The impact of his work, he said, boils down to one simple philosophy: \u201cStudents will remember how you make them feel more than the science they learned.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beloved by faculty and students alike, White\u2019s approach to teaching hasn\u2019t gone unrecognized. Recently, he was named the recipient of UW Bothell\u2019s 2025 Distinguished Teaching Award<\/a>. The award is based on several criteria, including nomination letters from both students and faculty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In one such letter, a student noted that White was \u201cborn to teach.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Embracing authenticity<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When he first started college, White said he was on a \u201croller coaster\u201d to medical school after receiving positive reinforcement from his family to pursue that path. His passion for teaching still shone through visits to elementary and middle schools where he would bring organs and talk about science. A couple years in, he left the program to become a high school biology teacher. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said it was the best decision he ever made. Despite lifelong struggles with anxiety and depression, White found he needed \u201ca lot less therapy\u201d once he embraced his authentic self and pursued a career in education. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When White came to UW Bothell in 2011, he was one of only two faculty members in the newly formed Department of Biology. As one of the first in the department, he also has had a hand in helping to develop and evolve the curriculum over time. He has taught 13 unique classes \u2014 and among those, he created eight, co-created one and adapted three that were initially created by another faculty member. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And with these courses, he has continued to work at refining and improving them to meet the needs of his students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Kristina Hillesland, associate professor and chair of the Biological Sciences Division, has worked with White since the beginning, having been the third faculty member to join the department. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have considered Dr. White\u2019s teaching and his care for our students to be an example I strive to emulate,\u201d Hillesland wrote in her nomination letter. \u201cHis teaching \u2014 and everything he does to improve it \u2014 is focused on making sure every student has the opportunity to succeed, especially those who are struggling or often \u2018left out.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I have considered Dr. White\u2019s teaching and his care for our students to be an example I strive to emulate. His teaching \u2014 and everything he does to improve it \u2014 is focused on making sure every student has the opportunity to succeed.” <\/p>Dr. Kristina Hillesland, associate professor, School of STEM\u00a0<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Committed to student success<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hillesland noted that White\u2019s support has impacted not only his own students but also the campus at large. One of the earliest and longest-lasting initiatives during his time at UW Bothell is the Peer Facilitator program, where students gain teaching skills and valuable experience by facilitating groups of learners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the program\u2019s first year in 2012, 88 students were in a class supported by a peer facilitator. Now, more than 2,000 students per year are assisted by peer facilitators. Throughout his fine-tuning of the program, White involved the peer facilitators in the tests, offering them a chance to do research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Providing equitable opportunities for research experience has long been a priority for him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2019, White initiated a partnership with the Institute for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine at UW Medicine and worked to create a scholarship for UW Bothell students, with a focus on increasing the number of people not traditionally represented in stem cell science. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAside from being an exceptional teacher, Dr. White is also an excellent mentor,\u201d wrote Dang Truong, a 2024 Biology alumna, in her nomination letter. \u201cWhen I first arrived at UW Bothell as a first-generation student, I aspired to pursue research but lacked guidance. My life changed when I joined the summer research program at ISCRM. Dr. White mentored me and other undergraduates, guiding us through the research world.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truong recalled that White encouraged her to go after other opportunities as well and that \u2014 thanks to his support \u2014 she received other research scholarships, including a Mary Gates Scholarship, and was honored with a Husky 100 Award<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Dr. Bryan White with his student researchers presenting their mindfulness activity research.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Social and emotional support<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

White has consistently included and encouraged students in his work. He also made their well-being the subject of his research. With support from student researchers, White partnered in 2023 with Dr. Linda Eaton, associate professor in the School of Nursing & Health Studies<\/a>, to develop a mindfulness recording<\/a> to help reduce stress during exams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His interest in mindfulness and meditation stems from his own mental health struggles, which he has openly shared with his students. He said he is passionate about teaching to the \u201cwhole person\u201d and is often able to help students who are similarly struggling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t shy away from mental health challenges,\u201d he said. \u201cIn class, I make time for those little brain nuggets or acknowledgments of that voice inside your head that might be telling you you\u2019re an imposter. Because I teach a lot about the brain and I have the lived experience of a brain that sometimes goes against me, I love that I\u2019m in a position where I can speak to that and sometimes resonate with students or at least help them understand others who may be struggling.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Emerald Chuesh<\/a>, a 2025 Health Studies alumna and an undergraduate researcher on the project, White\u2019s way of meeting students where they are and supporting them to grow from there was just what she needed to get out of her shell. Chuesh, who received the President\u2019s Medal at Commencement on June 15<\/a>, was shy and anxious about presenting in front of others, but White was able to help her move outside her comfort zone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBryan sticks with his research assistants through the long days of data analysis and supports our plans by sharing his professional considerations and critiques,\u201d she said. \u201cOverall, his beaming personality truly rubs off on our team as he motivates us to do the best work we can do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe is an exceptionally caring and kind professor. As a mentor, he is equally, if not more, caring and supportive. Doing research under him has been an absolute pleasure.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn about research opportunities and labs at the School of STEM<\/em><\/a>.<\/em> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. Bryan White, teaching professor in the School of STEM, is the recipient of the 2025 Distinguished Teaching Award.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":32628,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_is_archived":false,"_archived_contact_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[202,229,211,214,1],"tags":[],"school":[421],"class_list":["post-32627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-news","category-faculty","category-honors-and-awards","category-research","category-uncategorized","school-school-of-stem"],"acf":{"related_links":{"toggle_visibility":false,"link_1":"","link_2":"","link_3":"","link_4":"","link_5":""},"highlight_box":{"toggle_visibility":false,"title":"","content":"","button":"","button_style":"angled-purple-button","button_screen_reader_text":""},"contact_type_1":{"toggle_visibility":true,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"contact_type_2":{"toggle_visibility":false,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"social_media":{"toggle_visibility":false,"facebook_url":"","instagram_url":"","linkedin_url":"","twitter_url":"","youtube_url":""},"blog_archive_sidebar_visibility":false},"yoast_head":"\nBorn to teach - 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