Gina Frey - Department of Chemistry - The University of Utah

CHEMICAL EDUCATION

Ronald and Eileen Ragsdale Professor of Chemical Education
B.S., Clarion State University, PA, 1982
Ph.D., University of Utah, 1986
Postdoctoral Fellow, Indiana University, 1986-1988

Phone: (801) 581-8884
Office: 4402 Thatcher Building
Email: gina.frey@utah.edu

Research group website

Collaborative Projects

NSF Collaborative Inclusive STEM Project

Center for Integrative Research on Cognition, Learning, and Education (CIRCLE)

Center for Science and Mathematics Education

Research Interests

My research interests focus on improving student learning and sense of belonging by developing/modifying, implementing, and evaluating active-learning and collaborative strategies and cognitive, metacognitive, and social-psychological research findings. My lab accomplishes this by working with faculty, especially in introductory STEM courses, and collaborating with psychology researchers, other STEM education researchers and the Center for Science and Mathematics Education (CSME). My research also focuses on educating and supporting faculty in these areas to implement evidence-based strategies through developing on-line and in-person educational material and implementing faculty-development programs, and to document these changes through classroom observations and other evaluation instruments. The goal of our group is to help faculty create a classroom environment and curriculum where all students can succeed in and enjoy STEM.

Awards and Activities

Chair-Elect for ACS Division of Chemical Education, 2025

Florence E. Moog Professor of STEM Education, Washington University in St. Louis, 2012-2019

Emerson Excellence in Teaching award, 2013

Co-Director (one of two founding), Center for Integrative Research in Cognition, Learning, & Education (CIRCLE), Washington University in St. Louis, 2011-2019

Executive Director/Director (founding executive director), The Teaching Center, Washington University in St. Louis, 2002-2017

Arts & Sciences Dean’s Award, Washington University in St. Louis, 2005

Freshman Favorite Award, Arts & Scineces, Washington University in St. Louis, 2002

Selected Publications

Selected Journal Publications

Laguerre Van Sickle, and R. F. Frey*, Chem. Edu. Res. and Prac., “Student’s study behaviors as a predictor of performance in General Chemistry I.” (accepted 11/2024)
Bustamante, V P; Blomgren, H E; Walker, D K; Edwards, J D; Frey, R F. (2024) An exploratory analysis of students’ open-ended responses describing their perception of course inclusivity in an Introductory Physics 1 course. Rev. – Phys. Edu. Res, 20 (2), 020112: 1-18. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.20.020112
Calkins, S.; Conway, A.; Daniels, T.; Frey, R. F.; Gillian-Daniel, D.; Goldberg, B.B.; Greenler, R McC.; Hill, L.; Hokanson, S.C.; Johnson-Ojeda, V.; Pinder-Grover, T.; Armstrong, S.; Buchanan, D.; Dorizan, S.; Green, N.; Hernandez, I. A.; Himelman, L.; Immelman, T.; Keeles, O. W.; Lewis, H.; Shin, S.; Womack, V.; Woods, S. E.; York, A. M. (2024) Scaling Inclusive Teaching: A National STEM Teaching Initiative Centering Identity, Power, and Privilege, Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 56:5, 31-40, DOI: 10.1080/00091383.2024.2385271
Walker, D. K., Bustamante, V. P., Blomgren, H. E., Edwards, J. D., & Frey, R. F. (2024). “A Mixed Methods Study Exploring Students’ Open-Ended Responses about Course Inclusivity in General Chemistry 1.” Journal of Chemical Education, 101(4), 1403-1415.
A M. York, G. Miller, M. J. Cahill, M. A. Bernstein, A. M. Barber, H. E. Blomgren, and R. F. Frey*, (2024). An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Analysis of Factors Contributing to Students’ Perceptions of Inclusion in Introductory STEM Courses. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 23(3), ar40:1-16.
M. Walck-Shannon, S. F. Rowell, A. Barber, G. Yuan, and R. F. Frey, (2024) CBE-Life Sci Edu. “A Study Planning Exercise Associated with Decreased Distraction Levels Among Introductory Biology Students” 23(1), ar3, 1–15.
Jareczek, and R. F. Frey^* (2023). Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study on PLTL Leaders’ Perceptions of their Group-Inclusion Skills in General Chemistry. Journal of Chemical Education, 100(9), 3240-3251.
Edwards, J. D., Torres, H. L., & Frey, R. F. (2023). The effect of social belonging on persistence to General Chemistry 2. Journal of Chemical Education, 100(11), 4190-4199.

F. Rowell*, E. R. Cohen-Shikora, E. M. Walck-Shannon, J. Mazur, and R. F. Frey (2023), Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology. “Randomized Study Strategy Intervention in a Large Introductory Psychology Course” Advance online publication (p.1-15). https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/stl0000360
A Fink, J. D. Young, N. K. Vuppala, and R. F. Frey^* (2023). Edu. Res. and Prac,24, 327 – 352. “Mixed-Methods Exploration of Students’ Written Belonging Explanations from General Chemistry at a Selective Institution”
Fink*, A., Mattson, P. S., Cahill, M. J., Frey, R. F., & McDaniel, M. A. (2023). Growth mindset intervention improves performance of highly nontraditional introductory psychology students at a community college. Teaching of Psychology, 50(4), 393-406.
D. Edwards, L. Laguerre, R. S. Barthelemy, C. De Grandi, and R. F. Frey^* (2022), Phys. Rev. Special Topics – Phys. Edu. Res, 18(2), 020150:1-17 “Relating students’ social-belonging and course performance across multiple assessment types in a calculus-based introductory physics 1 course” DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.18.020150
D. Edwards, R. S. Barthelemy, and R. F. Frey* (2022). J. Chem. Edu., 99(1), 71-82 “The Relationship between Course-level Social Belonging, comprising Sense of Belonging and Belonging Uncertainty factors, and Academic Performance in General Chemistry 1” (“Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Respect in Chemistry Education Research and Practice” special issue).

Book Chapters, Books, and Reports

- F. Frey* and S. E. Lewis (2023). “Implementing Cooperative Learning in Large Undergraduate Classes via PLTL” in C. E. Overson, C. M. Hakala, L. L. Kordonowy, and V. A. Benassi, Eds. In their own words: What scholars want you to know about why and how to apply the science of learning in your academic setting. (pp. 239-251). Society for the Teaching of Psychology (APA, Division 2) (invited chapter, peer reviewed). https://teachpsych.org/ebooks/itow
- F. Frey, C. J. Brame, A. Fink, and P. P. Lemons* (2022), CBE-Life Sci Edu., “Teaching discipline-based problem-solving: an evidence-based teaching guide.” 21:fe1, 1–9 (Invited essay and Evidence-based Teaching Guide). URL for guide: https://lse.ascb.org/evidence-based-teaching-guides/problem-solving/ (linked on 03/21/2022)
- A Fink and R. F. Frey* (2020). “Clicker Implementation Styles in STEM.” in J. Mintzes and E. M. Walter, Eds. Active Learning in College Science: The Case for Evidence-Based Practice. (pp. 173-188), Berlin: Springer Nature. (invited chapter, peer reviewed)
- A Fink, E. D. Solomon, and R. F. Frey* (2020). “Guiding principles for connecting faculty, administrators, and staff in EDI initiatives: A case study of a university-supported education research center” in B. Storms, S. K. Donovan, and T. P. Williams (Eds), Book One, Breaking Down Silos: Innovation, Collaboration, and EDI Across Disciplines. (pp. 61-70). London: Rowman and Littlefield. (accepted chapter, peer reviewed)
- R. F. Frey* and M. A. McDaniel (2019). The case of the enterprising instructor. In R. J. Sternberg (Ed.), My Biggest Research Mistake (pp. 165-168). London: Sage Publications. (Invited chapter)
- R. F. Frey* and S. E. Shadle* (2019). “Guided Inquiry” In S. R. Simonson (Ed), POGIL: An Introduction to Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning for Those Who Wish to Empower Learners. (pp. 84-69). Virginia: Stylus Publishing, LLC. (Invited chapter)
- M. A. McDaniel*, J. P. Mestre*, R. F. Frey, R. Gouravajhala, R. C. Hilborn, T. Miyatsu, J. W. Morphew, & L. L. Slakey (2017), Report for NSF Cognitive Science and Discipline-Based Educational Research Conference held September 2016. “Maximizing undergraduate STEM learning: Promoting research at the intersection of cognitive psychology and discipline-based education research.” (url: https://circle.wustl.edu/white-paper-maximizing-undergraduate-stem-learning/)
- Co-editor of: M. A. McDaniel, R. F. Frey, S. M. Fitzpatrick, and H. L. Roediger, (Eds.) (2014). Integrating Cognitive Science with Innovative Teaching in STEM Disciplines. [e-reader version] (Downloads: 4006, as of 12-03-2019) doi: 10.7936/K75Q4T1X
- K. Sawyer*, R. Frey, and P. Brown, Productive Multivocality in the Analysis of Group Interactions, Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Series, Vol. 15; D. D. Suthers, K. Lund, C. P. Rose, C. Teplovs, and N. Law, eds.; Springer Science + Business Media B.V.: New York, 2013, 191-204. “Knowledge Building Discourse in Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) Groups in First-year General Chemistry.” (invited chapter)
- K. Sawyer*, R. Frey, and P. Brown, Productive Multivocality in the Analysis of Group Interactions, Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Series, Vol. 15; D. D. Suthers, K. Lund, C. P. Rose, C. Teplovs, and N. Law, eds.; Springer Science + Business Media B.V.: New York, 2013, 183-189. “Peer-Led Team Learning in General Chemistry.” (invited chapter)