Rate My Professor Greta Bowling

Dr. Greta Bowling, Ph.D., serves as Dean of STEM at Tarrant County College's Northwest Campus. Previously, she was Professor of Biology, Chair of the Life Sciences Department, and Dean of Math and Sciences. In 2018, she received the Tarrant County College Chancellor’s Award for Exemplary Teaching for her innovative pedagogical approaches. Bowling has profoundly impacted environmental education and campus sustainability initiatives. She led the Marine Creek Nature Discovery Center project, converting a 5-acre overflow parking lot into an outdoor classroom called the Pocket Prairie adjacent to Marine Creek Reservoir. Initiated several years prior, the project featured seeding of native grasses and flowers in April 2018, along with walkways, benches, a monarch waystation, raised plant beds, and interpretive signage. By December 2021, the center was operational, supporting social distancing during COVID-19 and offering hands-on learning in sustainability, conservation, and land stewardship. Future enhancements include a covered pavilion, geology garden, gravel paths, and native plant cultivation structures. The site integrates interdisciplinary programs across art, English, horticulture, and sciences, while providing field experiences for Marine Creek Collegiate High School students pursuing associate degrees and eventual bachelor's in ecology or biology.

Bowling mentored a four-member student team that advanced to the final round of the 2021 National Community College Innovation Challenge. She has co-chaired Earth Day events, including festivals, photo contests, and multi-day celebrations promoting environmental awareness. Her research interests include ecosystem ecology, cultural ecology, and tropical ecology. In 2017, she co-authored 'Connecting land ethics and entrepreneurship through experiential learning in a bobwhite centric outdoor education program' in the 8th National Quail Symposium Proceedings with Ashleigh P. Tynes and Kelly S. Reyna. The paper analyzed pre- and post-assessments showing increased content retention in youth programs focused on bobwhite quail habitat management via entrepreneurship skills. She also presented on biodiversity of wet meadows and prairies at the 2017 America’s Grasslands Conference with Ping-Sha Sheffield and contributed to leadership development sessions on mentoring advantages at TCC.