James M. Newcomb, Ph.D.

Philosophy of teaching:   I am committed to making scientific education a thought-provoking and critical thinking endeavor. My teaching therefore stresses critical thinking, connections to real-world issues, and the skills to effectively express ideas. It is important that students become scientifically literate members of society, regardless of their chosen profession. As consumers and voters, students and NEC graduates will be continually forced to evaluate scientific information and make informed choices. Therefore, my overall goal is not to convince students to follow scientific careers but to stimulate their intellectual curiosity and help them develop critical thinking skills that will be useful throughout their lives.

Special areas of expertise or research interests:   My expertise is in the areas of neurobiology and animal/human physiology. My research focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying behavior and the evolution of nervous systems.

Teaching background:   I have been teaching at NEC since 2006. My teaching load includes courses such as General Biology, Human Anatomy & Physiology, Zoology, Comparative Animal Physiology, and other related classes.