Mariëlle Hoefnagels is an associate professor in the Department of Biology and the Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology at the University of Oklahoma, where she teaches courses in introductory biology, mycology, and science writing. She has received the University of Oklahoma General Education Teaching Award and the Longmire Prize (the Teaching Scholars Award from the College of Arts and Sciences). She has also been awarded honorary memberships in several student honor societies. Dr. Hoefnagels received her BS in environmental science from the University of California at Riverside, her MS in soil science from North Carolina State University, and her PhD in plant pathology from Oregon State University. Her dissertation work focused on the use of bacterial biological control agents to reduce the spread of fungal pathogens on seeds. In addition to authoring Biology: The Essentials and Biology: Concepts and Investigations, her recent publications have focused on creating investigative teaching laboratories and integrating technology into introductory biology classes. She also maintains a blog on teaching nonmajors biology, and she frequently gives presentations on study skills and related topics to student groups across campus.