Rate My Professor Mindy Reynolds

Mindy Reynolds serves as the Alonzo G. and Virginia Gent Decker Professor of Biology at Washington College, where she is Co-Director of the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program and Chair of the Department of Biology. She earned a B.A. from Wheaton College and a Ph.D. from Brown University. Her early career included roles as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biology at Salve Regina University and a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Brown University during 2007-2008, as well as serving as a Course Instructor in Brown University's Summer Precollege Program in 2007. Reynolds is recognized as a leader in STEM education, exemplifying the teacher-scholar model through her commitment to undergraduate research and mentoring.

In the field of Biology with a focus on Toxicology, Reynolds conducts wet-bench research examining chronic exposure to metal compounds such as nickel, cobalt, cadmium, arsenic, and phthalates, investigating their cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and links to cancer incidence using human cell culture models and molecular approaches. She also pursues educational research on science learning, instructor-scientist collaborations, and evidence-based instructional practices. Recent achievements include securing two National Science Foundation grants totaling over $100,000: as Principal Investigator on RCN-UBE #2418046 for Fostering a Mentoring Networks for Evidence-Based Teaching ($75,000) and as Co-Principal Investigator on RCN-UBE #2416714 StressCURE: A Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience Toolkit (subaward $75,934). Her honors encompass the 2023 Society of Toxicology Excellence in Service Award for mentoring, the 2015 Society of Toxicology Undergraduate Educators Award, and Washington College's 2012 Gold Pentagon Leadership Award. Key publications feature 'A Case Study for Teaching Toxicology: Using Whales as an Indicator for Environmental Health' (2022, with B. Rupprecht and J.P. Wise), 'Induction of cytotoxic and genotoxic damage following exposure of V79 cells to cadmium chloride' (2017, with J. Gobrecht et al.), 'A Toxicological Study using Zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model' (2013), and 'Methylmercury impairs motor function in early development and induces oxidative stress in cerebellar granule cells' (2013, with E. Patel). Reynolds teaches Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Toxicology, General Biology, and GRW Body Toxic: Hazardous Chemicals and Everyday Life. Her students perform original research on topics like vaping fluids, caffeine, and haircare products, presenting at Society of Toxicology meetings, with many proceeding to advanced degrees and internships.