Faculty Friday: Meet Dr. Erica Lannan

It's Faculty Friday!

Dr. Erica Lannan is a passionate Professor of Biology at Prairie State College. She teaches Biology 111 (Cellular and Molecular Biology), Biology 107 (Microbes and Society). We sat down and chatted about Biology, Women’s History Month and other fun stuff. Check out the full interview below.

What opportunities are there for students to engage in research or hands-on learning in your biology courses?

We do a lot of hands-on experiments in the lab itself - sometimes they’re more computer based and we also do things like crime scene DNA. There’s also Opportunities for individual research projects. We have students competing against others in four-year schools and winning.

What advice would you give to students interested in pursuing a career in biology or a related field after completing their studies here?

There’s a lot of opportunities in health care and Biology provides a really good starting point for that. There’s also Health Care Nursing, Physical Therapy Assistant, Dental Hygiene, we have a lot of students that get into Pharmacy school, too.

Favorite Part about Working at PSC?

I really enjoy working with the students at PSC. They bring unique questions and diverse perspectives to our classroom discussions, and I love when I get to see their excitement for Biology grow over the course of the semester.  I also really appreciate everyone I work with at PSC. Everyone is so smart and passionate about students and access to education.

What does women’s history month mean to you?

It is a chance to highlight the contributions of women to society. In science, that can mean learning the stories of women like Jane Goodall, Rosalind Franklin, and Henrietta Lacks, as well as countless others who have contributed but who have not been recognized. Furthermore, many of my students want to enter the healthcare field. Women's health and physiology has historically been very understudied in medicine. It is important to highlight these issues now, as students will be the ones to direct research efforts in the future. 

Hobbies?

Cycling, Gardening, Cooking, Baking

Favorite Movie?

Wicked

Book Recommendations?

The Parable of the Sower (Octavia Butler), Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men (Caroline Criado Perez), and Oryx and Crake (and the rest of the MaddAddam trilogy) (Margaret Atwood).

Favorite Food?

Hibachi

Place you’ve never been that you’d like to go?

Thailand

Favorite Place You’ve Been?

Wales or China