Cassandra Korte B.S., Ph.D.

Cassandra Korte studied environmental toxicology at the University of Michigan. While earning her Ph.D., Korte studied mechanisms by which environmental pollutants may contribute to preterm birth. Specifically, she examined the effect of reactive oxygen species on inflammatory signaling pathways in human placental cells.

Before entering graduate school, Korte earned her bachelor's degree in biological sciences at Wayne State University. While there, she tutored undergraduate biology students individually and in large groups. She also participated in a research project whose goal was to resolve the evolutionary history of the avian branch of the tree of life.

Korte's current research interests involve perceptions of risk associated with usage of personal care products. She is also working on environmental toxicology projects with flatworm and roundworm models.

• B.S., Biological Sciences at Wayne State University
• Ph.D., Toxicology at University of Michigan

Ultimately, Cassandra Korte strives to foster the skills students need to effectively navigate science within their daily lives. As such, her students learn about what science is, how it is performed, and how to arrive at scientific conclusions. To inspire students to exercise these skills outside of the classroom, Korte seeks to produce a sense of curiosity about the natural world to open their eyes to questions that they may have never considered before. Though she recognizes that science courses can be difficult for some, by cultivating an environment of enthusiasm, respect, and active engagement, she hopes to alleviate the senses of fear and apathy that some students bring to their science education.

• Introductory biology labs
• Environmental health
• Toxicology
• Contemporary issues in science
• Scientific literacy

• Reproductive environmental toxicology
• Environmental health
• Public health
• Hypothesis-driven laboratory curriculum

• Selected to attend the Avida- ED LENS Train - the - trainers Workshop on Digital Evolution Education Software, June 2015
• Charlie Drewes Waiver of Registration Grant Recipient for the Association for Biology Education 2014 Conference, May 2014
• Rackham One-Term Dissertation Fellowship, Winter 2013
• Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant, October 2012
• Graduate Academic Conference Poster Session Award, May 2012
• Society of Toxicology Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology Specialty Section Graduate Student Poster Award, First Place, March 2012
• Rackham Graduate School Travel Grant, March 2012
• Herbert Cornish Travel Award, March 2012
• Rackham Graduate School Travel Grant, March 2011
• Society of Toxicology Graduate Student Travel Support Award, March 2011
• Superfund Research Program Trainee, 2010 - 2013
• NIEHS/NIH-sponsored Institutional NRSA Predoctoral Fellowship in the Environmental Toxicology and Epidemiology Training Program, 2007-2009