Books
My science communication practice, which includes my writing, is focused on helping people connect scientific content to their lives in a meaningful manner.
By making science more accessible and relatable, there are fewer barriers for people to meaningfully engage in scientific issues that impact our society. That philosophy underlies all of my books, starting with Biology Everywhere (2020) reaching children with The Biology Adventurers: On the River (2021) and Biology for Life (2027).
You can read more about each of my books below. You can also directly purchase copies of Biology Everywhere or On the River from me on this page—please reach out if you’d like me to sign/personalize your copy!
I also encourage you to follow me on social media for sneak peeks into what I’m currently working on.
Biology for Life
Biology for Life is a next-generation textbook that teaches biology through stories based on our daily experiences. Alongside biology content, students are also taught how to study the material using neuroscience-backed tips for learning.
My approach to biology is grounded in the philosophy that helping people attain the biology knowledge needed to make informed decisions in our ever changing world starts with identifying where we see biology as part of our daily lives.
When one sees biology as not just understandable, but relatable, the material becomes more accessible and relevant.
Biology for Life 1e is more than a textbook. it’s a reflection of Melanie’s belief that science is for everyone, and that understanding the living world should feel empowering, not intimidating.
Diana Baniak, Senior Editorial Manager, Biology, A&P, Earth & Environmental Science at Cengage Learning
The Biology Everywhere Story
One of my earliest teaching assignments was teaching non-majors introductory biology. As part of my evidence-based pedagogy, I used a variety of classroom assessment techniques, such as exit tickets, to learn more about my students.
Over the course of several semester, I noted a common theme with my non-majors students: feelings of dread, fear, and disillusionment with taking a biology class. Unfortunately, my interactions with many members of the public revealed similar sentiments. Whether in the classroom or with the public, I often heard recurring messages of “I’m not smart enough to do science” or “When am I EVER going to need to know this?
As a biology educator, learning scientist, and science nerd, I was troubled by the pervasive negative feelings people held towards science. It’s not a matter of if a student needs to know something – but when and how they’ll need the information they learn in our classrooms. When the time comes in which a student needs to engage with a scientific issue in the course of their daily lives, how can we ensure that students leave the classroom feeling empowered to engage?
I decided to completely change my teaching approach with the students to teach based on where students would run into the content again in the future. That approach was hugely successful! To reach a larger audience, I decided to write Biology Everywhere and later On the River using that same philosophy. Both books went on to win CIPA EVVY Gold Awards in their respective categories in 2022! My TEDx talk in 2021 was also based on Biology Everywhere.
Read Biology Everywhere
Biology is memorizing terms, dissecting animals, and analyzing abstract concepts. Sound familiar? If so, you are like the majority of individuals outside the sciences when considering biology. Not without reason—research suggests that an introductory biology class has more vocabulary than a first semester language class.
However, a working knowledge of biology is increasingly critical as we as a society grapple with big questions regarding topics such as ethics and regulation of genetic technology, conservation, and health.
This book is intended to bridge the gap between traditional biology classes and the practical biology knowledge needed in the real world.
In each chapter, a different biological concept is examined and related to some real-world issue or experience in an effort to demonstrate why the science of life matters to your everyday experience.
The content includes subjects typically covered in an introductory biology class like ecology and genetics, and also unique interdisciplinary topics such as the relationship between arts and biology.
This book is specifically designed either for those who already love biology and biology education, or for those who have had prior poor experiences with biology learning and are willing to give it another try.
How Rethinking Biology Can Positively Change Your Life (TEDxCU)
Let’s Go on the river.
Ellie wants to earn her Biology Adventurer River Badge with her brother Max. But Max doesn’t think he’s any good at science.
Can Max overcome his nerves and earn his adventurer badge, too?
In this children’s spin off of Biology Everywhere, kids learn about river ecology and using the included trail guide, can take a similar journey as Ellie and Max in their own community.