When the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences revised its advising model in 2024, faculty in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology (EEOB) had fewer opportunities to interact one-on-one with undergraduates. To bridge that gap, the department launched the Meet a Professor (MPP) program—a simple yet powerful initiative designed to connect first-semester Biology and Genetics students with faculty in small-group settings.
“The goal of this activity is to facilitate students’ exploration of their interests, provide access to potential research opportunities, and normalize personalized interactions with faculty as early as their first semester at ISU,” explains Dr. Corinna Most, Assistant Chair for Teaching in EEOB. “Faculty also benefit by tapping into the incoming pool of students to identify potential long-term members of their labs or instructional teams.”
The program debuted in Fall 2024, hosting 25 meetings that connected 177 students with 20 faculty members across EEOB and Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology (GDCB). The response was overwhelmingly positive. In fact, the program expanded in Spring 2025 for transfer students and doubled its reach in Fall 2025, connecting over 275 students with approximately 30 faculty members in nearly 90 meetings.
For students, these conversations can be transformative. Anna Tyler, now an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Don Sakaguchi’s lab, recalls her first MPP meeting:
“Prior to this meeting, I had zero experience with research and didn’t know what I could do with it or how to get involved,” she says. “Our meeting was so exciting and opened so many doors for me as to what kind of research I could do and how being involved in research could affect my time here at Iowa State.”
Inspired by that conversation, Anna immediately reached out to the experiential learning coordinator and began exploring research opportunities. Today, she’s part of a cutting-edge stem cell research team—all thanks to a single meeting.
“I am working as an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Sakaguchi’s lab—all thanks to the Meet a Professor program!” she adds.
The success of MPP underscores the importance of early faculty-student engagement. By fostering meaningful connections, the program not only helps students find their academic footing but also strengthens the department’s research community. As Dr. Most puts it, “Early contact with faculty can increase student retention and make large, anonymous courses feel more personal. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.”