Rate My Professor Peter Geerlings

Dr. Peter Geerlings holds a BSc (Hons) from the University of Western Australia and a Doctor of Philosophy from Murdoch University, awarded in 2013. His PhD thesis, titled 'Studies of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its virulence factors in a mouse model of dermal infection,' was conducted in the School of Veterinary and Life Sciences under the supervision of Phil Stumbles and John Penhale. This research investigated the progression of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from dermal infection to septicaemia, the production and distribution of Exotoxin A in dermal wound models, and the effects of bacterial elastase and Exotoxin A on subcutaneous tissue following dermal trauma. Early publications stemming from this work include 'A skin chamber to investigate wound infection and healing in the mouse' (2009, Wounds) and 'P. aeruginosa elastase and ETA in subcutaneous tissue' (2017).

Transitioning to higher education pedagogy, Peter Geerlings served as an Associate Lecturer and Lecturer at Murdoch University's Centre for University Teaching and Learning. He contributed to enabling programs such as OnTrack and the University Preparation Pathway (UPP), supporting student transitions from high school to university, particularly for diverse and low-SES cohorts. His areas of interest include microbiology and immunology, health, socio-cultural diversity, higher education, peer learning, and teaching. He has acted as Unit Coordinator for academic culture modules and worked as a consultant in student support and interdisciplinary enabling programs for secondary school students, school-leavers, and mature-age students. Key publications in this domain encompass 'Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS): Does Gender Matter?' (2016, Journal of Peer Learning), which examined gender differences in PASS effectiveness for first-year mathematics and business units; 'Catching them before they fall: a Vygotskian approach to transitioning students from high school to university' (2016, Higher Education Research & Development); 'Enabling learners starts with knowing them: Student attitudes, aspiration and anxiety towards science and maths learning in an Australian pre-university enabling program' (2018, Australian Journal of Adult Learning); and 'It’s the Principle that Counts: Designing Curriculum for Diverse Enabling Student Cohorts' (2023, book chapter in Widening Participation in Higher Education). Geerlings grew up in a working-class suburb and was the first in his family to attend university.