Faculty
Dr. Katie Heffernan
Assistant Professor of Biology
Contact Information:
McNeer Hall, Room 221804-861-6100, ext. 8613
kheffernan@rbc.edu
Education:
Undergraduate:
University of Wisconsin - Parkside, BS in Biology, 2009Graduate:
Northern Illinois University, MS in Biological Sciences with Specialization in Teaching Anatomy, 2011Doctorate:
Northern Illinois University, PhD in Biological Sciences, 2019Bio:
After completing her bachelor’s degree in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Dr. Katie Heffernan continued her studies in Dekalb, Illinois teaching teach anatomy. Along with and another instructor, Dr. Heffernan reorganized the anatomy and physiology courses that were in need of an overhaul in terms of learning objectives and teaching methods. After graduation, she was hired to continue this development and taught at NIU for 10 years, where she also supervised TAs in the same MS program.
For her Ph.D., Dr. Heffernan researched tooth wear of a sifaka species in fractured habitats of Madagascar. She was supervised by Dr. Karen Samonds and Dr. Mitchell Irwin (www.sadabe.org), and not only gained further appreciation of our natural world, but also was impressed by the holistic approach to their research.
In 2019, Dr. Heffernan joined Richard Bland College to teach anatomy & physiology courses. She encourages her students to constantly develop their study skills for these rigorous courses so that they are well prepared for their future careers.
