Mary S. Tyler

Professor Emerita of Zoology

Research Topic:
Developmental biology; organogenesis; and the creation of inquiry-based laboratory manuals and multimedia educational materials in introductory and developmental biology.

Research Program:
My fields of study are developmental biology and educational materials. In these areas, I am interested primarily in organ development, tissue interactions, and developing inquiry-based learning materials. I have used tissue and organ culture and grafts to examine epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in a variety of organs (e.g., palate, mandible, maxilla, skull). I have also collaborated with geneticists to study the effects of the apterous mutation on the development of Drosophila, and molecular biologists to study development of a solar-powered sea slug, Elysia chlorotica. Most recently, I have been developing educational materials in Developmental Biology and Introductory Biology, producing feature-length films on model organisms and developing interactive CD-ROMS and DVDs for the laboratory, key-concept videos for Intro Bio, and writing laboratory textbooks for these fields.

Publications:
Tyler, M.S., R. Cowan, F. Dastoor, K. Tracewski, 2015. Aim High, Aim Low: Improving Learning in Large Biology Classes with High Tech Lectures and Low Tech Labs. EdMedia 2015: World Conference on Educational Media and Technology, Conference Proceedings. Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education.

Tyler, M. S., and R. Cowan, 2013.  Inquiry Biology II: A Laboratory Manual, Learning through Experimentation.  W. H., Freeman, Inc., New York, NY.  (420 pages.)

Tyler, M. S., R. Cowan, and J. Lockhart, 2011.  Inquiry Biology: A Laboratory Manual, Learning through Experimentation.  W. H., Freeman, Inc., New York, NY.  (308 pages.)

Tyler, M.S., 2010.  Developmental Biology: A Guide for Experimental Study.  3.1 Edition.  Sinauer Assoc., Inc., Sunderland, MA.  A revision of the 3rd edition, now a multi-use electronic version of the book, in movie and PDF formats, with hyperlinks and glossaries.

Tyler, M.S., and R.N. Kozlowski, 2010.  DevBio: Vade Mecum3.  Sinauer Assoc., Inc.  Sunderland, MA. A 6-hour interactive Web application with pictures and videos that cover the development of the model organisms used in developmental biology, and techniques used in studying these organisms.

Tyler, M., R. Cowan, F. Dastoor, B. Olsen, J. Lockhart, and M. Harris, 2009. Helping students understand the process of science: using inquiry-based labs and lecture videos in a large introductory biology course. Invited NSF-AAAS Meeting: Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education. July 15-17, 2009. Washington, D.C. http://www.visionandchange.org/index.php/about/

Mary E. Rumpho, Jared M. Worful, Jungho Lee, Mary S. Tyler, Krishna Kannan, Kara M. Soule, and James R. Manhart, 2007. The Search for Horizontal Gene Transfer in a Kleptoplastic Sea Slug. American Society of Plant Biologists 2007 Meeting, July, 7-11, Chicago, IL.

Tyler, M. S., R. N. Kozlowski, and S. F. Gilbert, 2006.  Differential Expressions2: Key Experiments in Developmental Biology.  Sinauer Assoc, Inc., Sunderland, MA.  This is a 2-volume DVD set containing eight individual movies about the lives and work of eight influential scientists in developmental biology.

Tyler, M.S., and R.N. Kozlowski, 2003. Fly Cycle 2. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA. An interactive CD-ROM and a DVD.