Tamarah Adair, Ph.D.

Dr. Tamarah Adair is a Teaching Professor in the Department of Biology and serves as Director of Undergraduate Research in the Office of Engaged Learning. Her teaching and mentoring center on integrating authentic research experiences into the curriculum, with a particular emphasis on sustainability, ecological systems, and community engagement.

Dr. Adair has implemented course-based undergraduate research in introductory biology and genetics laboratories, using inquiry-driven approaches to help students develop scientific thinking. In BIO 1105, she guides students in exploring campus tree ecosystems as living laboratories. Through hands-on field and laboratory work, students investigate how trees contribute to environmental sustainability and the well-being of both human and non-human communities, fostering an understanding of biology as deeply connected to place and stewardship.

She has also taught in the SEA-PHAGES and SEA-GENES programs, where students engage in the discovery and analysis of bacteriophages from soil ecosystems. This work introduces students to the vast, largely unexplored microbial world that underpins soil health, highlighting its critical role in sustaining ecosystems and supporting global environmental resilience.

In BIO 4331, Scientific Leadership: Community-Based Research, Dr. Adair extends biological learning into real-world contexts by focusing on food systems and environmental challenges. Students collaborate with local partners to address issues such as food insecurity and sustainability, designing research projects rooted in community-identified needs and applying scientific knowledge for the common good.

Beyond the classroom, Dr. Adair is a dedicated community partner and regularly volunteers with Mission Waco’s Urban REAP program. She is committed to cultivating meaningful partnerships that connect students, science, and community, advancing both local sustainability efforts and student development as engaged scholars and leaders.

Keywords: Sustainability education, course-based research, inquiry-based learning, microbiology, trees, soil ecology, community-based research, environmental stewardship, undergraduate research leadership, food systems.