Wendy R. Beanblossom
Tenured lecturer, Associate Chair of the Biology department, and Pre-med advisor
Education
M.S., Education, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
B.S., Animal Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Biography
Mrs. Beanblossom was born in Peoria and has lived in the Peoria area most of her life. She first visited Bradley’s campus as a child enrolled in World of Wonder summer classes. She attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Mrs. Beanblossom taught biology both at the high school level and at Illinois Central College before joining Bradley’s Biology department in 2007.
Teaching
Mrs. Beanblossom teaches Introduction to Cell Biology, Anatomy and Physiology I and II lecture and laboratory, Comparative Anatomy, Science through Inquiry and Med Prep I and II.
Service
As the Associate Chair of Biology, Mrs. Beanblossom supports the department by attending admissions events, completing peer teaching evaluations, meeting with incoming Biomedical Science students for pre-orientation course enrollment, and advising students in course selection. She also serves as the Pre-Med Advisor at Bradley. In that role, she works with pre-med students to help them plan coursework, secure volunteer experiences, refine personal statements, obtain MCAT preparation materials, and identify medical schools that best align with their qualifications and goals. In addition, she is the academic advisor for BUMed student organization where she assists student leaders in planning guest speakers and workshops. Mrs. Beanblossom serves on the Early Assurance Program Committee collaborating with University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria faculty to coordinate the Med Prep I and II experience for students, assess program goals, and evaluate student applications to the program. As a teaching fellow, Mrs. Beanblossom partners with faculty across campus to help enhance teaching practices and improve the overall student experience. She also contributes to the University Assessment Team, supporting internal reviews of unit-level assessment plans to provide formative feedback to departments going through academic program review.