Dr. Liscum’s passion for teaching is grounded in his own experiences. As an undergrad, he struggled to shine, earning a solid C average. In graduate school, his PhD mentor (who shared similar academic struggles) modeled how to excel in his academic studies, through engagement for personal enrichment and knowledge, rather than grades. These lessons have informed Dr. Liscum’s basic teaching philosophy – “learning is not merely about memorization, it is fundamentally about learning and understanding how pieces (the memory bits) fit together in the present and can be used to extend our understanding of the world around us” – which he has carried forward to his classrooms at Mizzou. He constantly encourages students to discard their worries about grades in favor of deeper long-term learning (from which grades usually also follow). Dr. Liscum aims to facilitate student learning in a way that challenges them to think critical beyond the facts, across levels of knowledge and disciplines, and to provide them with the opportunities to gain the tools to achieve these goals.
Dr. Liscum’s research has two main interests: 1) how light regulates plant growth and development; and 2) how prejudice has impacted, and still impacts, science and public policies of exclusion and worse. Much of the latter interest is currently focused on eugenics, with a focus on antisemitism and the Holocaust. In addition to being a Faculty Fellow in the T4LC, Dr. Liscum is also Faculty Scholar in the Middleton Center for Race, Citizenship & Justice.
Teaching responsibilities:
- BioSc 1500 – Introduction to Biological Systems – A 5-credit lab and lecture course. It is the foundational introductory course for majors in Biological Sciences.
- BioSc 3040H – Eugenics – A 3-credit Honors lecture course.
- BioSc/Plnt Sci 4320/7320 – Plant Physiology – A 3-credit lecture course. It is an elective science course for Biology and Plant Science majors.
- BioSc4972 – Developmental Biology – A 3-credit lecture course. It is a Capstone course for Biology majors.
- BioSc 4966W – Desert Agriculture – A 3-credit Writing Intensive course. In addition to being WI, this course is also a Capstone course for Biology majors.
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