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Center for Advancing Undergraduate Science Education

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How We Work

CAUSE serves as a valuable resource for College of Science faculty, supporting them in achieving their instructional goals. Our team assists faculty in utilizing existing evidence to inform their teaching practices as well as in generating data and evidence for publication of teaching and learning scholarship. We offer support through brainstorming sessions, one-on-one or group meetings, and workshops on specific teaching approaches. Additionally, CAUSE leverages our team’s expertise to enhance offerings through established venues such as TLOS and CETL.

Estrella Johnson

Estrella Johnson is pictured in front of a white background. She has jaw-length brown hair. She is smiling and wearing brown glasses and a blue-green shirt.

Estrella Johnson

Director

Dr. Estrella Johnson is an Associate Professor of Mathematics. Her research focuses on the pedagogical practices of mathematicians, with the goal of better understanding and supporting high quality, ambitious teaching in undergraduate mathematics classrooms. Her research ranges from investigating and supporting mathematicians as they work to implement inquiry-oriented instructional materials to large-scale national survey projects investigating instructional practice, and influences on practice, in undergraduate STEM education. Her research and professional interests have more recently taken a turn towards issues of inclusion and diversity – both in the undergraduate mathematics classroom and in the sciences more broadly.

Elijah Carter is pictured with mid-length curly brown hair and a short goatee. He is smiling and wearing a pink collared shirt. In soft focus behind him are green and yellow leaves.

Elijah Carter

Assistant Director for Instructional Support

Dr. Elijah Carter holds an M.S. in Biology and a Ph.D. in College Science Teaching from Syracuse University. With a robust background in biology education research, he has explored a diverse array of topics. His work includes investigating interventions that enhance student learning and shape attitudes toward critical subjects such as evolution and climate change. Additionally, he has examined how educational strategies impact students from different backgrounds. Throughout his career, Dr. Carter has consistently integrated evidence-based teaching approaches into his pedagogy, striving to improve educational outcomes for all students.

Dr. Carter will lead CAUSE’s efforts to advance the use of research-based instructional strategies to innovate and improve instruction and develop communities of practice around undergraduate math and science education.

Image of Mags Blackie. She has brown hair, cut short. She is smiling, and she is wearing a blue puffer coat and a blue sweater over a red collared shirt with a light blue paisley patterned scarf. In soft focus in the background are some grass, trees, and a Virginia Tech building.

Mags Blackie

Associate Director for Educational Research  

Dr. Blackie holds in Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and a Ph.D. in education from Stellenbosch University. She held a tenured faculty position in the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science at Stellenbosch University from 2010 – 2022. She led a research group in medicinal chemistry whilst sustaining an interest in education research. In June 2022, she joined the Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching and Learning at Rhodes University and focused her research on tertiary STEM education. She joined CAUSE as the Associate Director for Education Research in January 2025.

Dr. Blackie will lead the CAUSE’s efforts to advance discipline-based education research and scholarship. Part of her role is to mentor and support College of Science faculty in conducting research and scholarship in undergraduate science and mathematics education.

Jessica Rich is pictured against a grey background. She has shoulder-length hair and glasses.

Jessica Rich

Communication Specialist  

Dr. Jessica Rich earned her Ph.D. in Communication Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a Research Assistant Professor in the College of Science and Co-PI on the Greenland Hazards Project, an interdisciplinary grant funded through the National Science Foundation to map geophysical change along Greenland's coasts. She studies the implications associated with environmental conflicts in frontline communities and emergent barriers to researcher-community collaboration. She previously held academic positions at Merrimack College and the University of Colorado-Boulder and has taught and developed university courses in communication and environmental studies since 2011.

Dr. Rich serves as Communication Specialist with CAUSE. She embraces a research-driven approach to communication to advance the Center’s outreach and engagement efforts within the College of Science and across the campus community.

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Our Values

Through collaborative efforts and interdisciplinary engagement, CAUSE empowers science faculty as professional educators, enriches undergraduate student learning and success in the classroom, and drives transformative change in STEM education at Virginia Tech and beyond.