Dr. Nikki Lewis is a collegiate associate professor and the research methods instruction lead for the Honors College at Virginia Tech. She also serves as the faculty preceptor for the Hillcrest Honors Living-Learning Community. In her previous professional roles at the university, she worked with colleagues to develop innovative active learning courses and presented her work at numerous educational conferences. She continues this work in course and curriculum development through her current role in the college.

Nikki’s service to the university includes serving on the advisory board for the Office of Undergraduate Research, as a faculty fellow for the Forging Interest in Research and Engagement (F.I.R.E.) Starters Program sponsored by the Fralin Life Sciences Institute, and positions on conference and symposium planning committees where students can present their undergraduate research work to the university. Her continual engagement in undergraduate research education and involvement with research-associated campus initiatives shows her dedication to and passion for the process of learning about the research process.

Dr. Lewis holds a PhD in genetics, bioinformatics, and computational biology from Virginia Tech, and a Bachelor of Science in biology from Christopher Newport University. Her previous research involved molecular docking methods for computer aided drug discovery and design with a focus on identification of nutraceuticals effective against the inflammation associated with diseases like inflammatory bowel disease and type 2 diabetes. Her current primary research within the scholarship of teaching and learning concerns research and problem-solving skill development in undergraduate honors populations and best practices for transdisciplinary learning. You can find publications on this and her previous work, and well as learning artifacts from course-based project on Google Scholar.