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Gail P Hollowell

Interim Chair and Professor, Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Dr. Gail Hollowell is an associate professor in the Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences and director of the Center for Science, Math and Technology Education at North Carolina Central University (NCCU). Dr. Hollowell received her B.S. in Biology from NCCU and both her M.S. degree (Microbiology) and Ph.D. degree (Biology) from Howard University in Washington, D.C. She also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, in Bethesda, MD.

Since returning to her alma mater, Dr. Hollowell has developed a research interest that includes undergraduate science education and the impact of technology in the science classroom. With over 15 years of teaching experience, Dr. Hollowell has developed student activities to support project-based learning, undergraduate research experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. Her research interests include analyzing those factors that motivate students to persist in science. Dr. Hollowell has published several conference papers and journal articles on course-based research experiences and retention of STEM majors at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). To that end, Dr. Hollowell currently serves as a co-principal investigator (PI) on three National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded projects with a retention focus on STEM majors at HBCUs. Dr. Hollowell is also a member of the Partnership for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education (PULSE), which is a non-profit educational organization committed to promoting the transformation of STEM education.

Dr. Hollowell enjoys hosting summer science camps and Days of Discovery for local elementary and middle school students. As a member of both professional and service organizations, Dr. Hollowell believes in lifelong learning and giving back to the community. Dr. Hollowell credits her passion for science to being raised in a family of health-related professionals, growing up in the City of Medicine (Durham, NC) and witnessing the expansion of the various companies in the Research Triangle Park, which has cultivated some of the best and brightest minds behind biotechnology, scientific research and advances in medicine.

Courses

BIOL 1202 - Principles of Biology: Molecules and Cells
BIOL 4400 - Introduction to Research
BIOG 5810 - Graduate Project

Publications

Hollowell, G., Chatman, M. C., & Talley, C. P. (2023) The CareFull Scholars Writing Program: Addressing the Unique Pressures of Black Women in the Academy. Journal of STEM Leadership (submitted)

Morton TR, Agee W, Ashad-Bishop KC, Banks LD, Barnett ZC, Bramlett ID, Brown B, Gassmann W, Grayson K, Hollowell GP, Kaggwa R, Kandlikar G, Love M, McCoy WN, Melton MA, Quinlan CL, Roby RS, Rorie CJ, Russo-Tait T, Wardin A, & Williams MR (2022). Re-Envisioning the Culture of Undergraduate Biology Education to Foster Black Student Success: A Clarion Call. CBE Life Sciences. Accepted with revisions.

Ahmed, M., Anderson, Y., Gerald - Goins, T. M., Hollowell, G. P., Saliim, E. T., Sangutei, T. K., Simpson, B., Spence, P. L., White, S. L., & Whittington, D. (2020). Promoting STEM Literacy by Designing Decision Driven Interdisciplinary Courses for Non-Science Majors. Journal of STEM Education, 21(3), 58–64.

Spence, P. L., Phillips, R. S., McAllister, A. R., White, S. L., & Hollowell, G. P. (2020). Student-Scientist Curriculum: Integrating Inquiry-Based Research Experiences and Professional Development Activities into an Introductory Biology Laboratory Course. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, 21(3). https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v21i3.2225

Mader CM, Beck CW, Grillo WH, Hollowell GP, Hennington B, Staub NL, Delesalle VA, Lello D, Merritt RB, Griffin GD, Bradford C, Mao J, Blumer LS, White SL. Multi-Institutional, Multidisciplinary Study of the Impact of Course-based Research Experiences. J Microbiol Biol Educ. 2017 Sep 1;18(2). pii: 18.2.44. doi: 10.1128/jmbe.v18i2.1317. eCollection 2017.

Hollowell, GP, Brooks RM, Anderson YB. Course Design, Quality Matters Training, and Student Outcomes. American Journal of Distance Education 2017; (31)3, 207-216, doi: 10.1080/08923647.2017.1301144

Staub NL, Blumer LS, Beck CW, Delesalle VA, Griffin G, Merritt RB, Hennington B, Grillo WH, Hollowell GP, White SL, Mader CM. Diverse CREs for diverse students from diverse institutions CUR Quarterly. 2016; 37(2):36-46 doi: 10.18833/curq/37/2/11

Grants

  1. NSF/HRD Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) # 2306647 – ACE Implementation Project: The DREAM STEM Project-Advancing Research, Academics, and Entrepreneurship in STEM Student Success. Caesar Jackson, Alade Tokuta, Gail Hollowell, and Tanina Bradley. $2,999,915.00 (2023 - 2028)
  2. NSF/ Division of Biological Infrastructure # 2217343 - RCN UBE: Deepening and Expanding the Mission and Outcomes of the Re-Envisioning Culture Network. Terrell R Morton, Gail P Hollowell, Checo J Rorie, Ruth J Kaggwa, and Simone B Soso. $500,000 (2022 – 2025)
  3. NSF/ Broadening Participation Research Project #1912389 – Promoting Rural Opportunities for Student Achievement in STEM (PRO-STEM) Cherise Herrington, Donna Grant, Gail Hollowell, Jonathan Livingston. $349,999 (2019 - 2022)
  4. NSF/HRD Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) #1818706 – (Implementation Project) The DREAM STEM Project: Enhancing Academics, Entrepreneurship, and STEM Career Pathways. Caesar Jackson, Tanina Bradley, Gail Hollowell, and Alade Tokuta. $2,249,992 (2018 - 2022)
  5. Verizon Innovative Learning for Minority Males Directed by North Carolina Central University. Verizon Foundation. Gail Hollowell and David Hood. $300,000 (2018 - 2020)