Bryan MacNeill is a postdoc in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology from Tampa, Florida. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Alabama, and his research focuses on how biology is taught. He is a recipient of a Postdoc Achievement Award for Excellence in Mentoring as part of Cornell’s celebration of National Postdoc Appreciation Week 2025.
What is your area of research, scholarship, or work, and why is it important?
I completed my doctoral training in botany under Dr. Michael McKain, specifically the evolution and ecology of agave. As a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Michelle Smith’s lab, I am working on multiple projects examining the impact of vision and change (an international call to action to change how we teach biology, providing a framework for major concepts in biology) on open educational resources, which are free to use, peer-reviewed lesson plans. I am really excited about the skills I am developing and the applications of my research. One major component looks at the intersection of open educational resources and botany. I am systematically reviewing resources and seeing how they align with the major concepts of vision and change. I am passionate about educating and mentoring all students in biology education, research, and the fantastic world of botany.
What are the broader implications of this research, scholarship, or work?
I am really passionate about the work I do for Disabled in Botany, an organization my colleagues, Haley Branch and Caroline Brose, started, that celebrates botanists with disabilities. I was able to combine this passion with my research on botany open educational resources and synthesize recommendations from the literature about how to adapt plant science courses for students with disabilities.
What does receiving a Postdoc Achievement Award mean to you?
A lot! I was really nervous mentoring two students for 40 hours a week. Soon-to-be Dr. David Esparza (an excellent mentor himself) tag-teamed it with me, and something really magical happened this summer. With our exceptional undergraduates, we put out an outstanding project that we are in the process of submitting as a manuscript. It was such a fun and exciting experience to get to work with Jesus Robles and Yanwei Liu, and I am really excited that they are staying on to continue and finish up their projects!
What hobbies or activities do you enjoy in your spare time?
I love playing multiplayer video games with my friends, botanizing (hiking but stopping every five seconds to look at a different plant), and reading the latest scary book!
Why did you choose Cornell?
Cornell offered an unprecedented opportunity to grow my research and expand my skills. I am elated about the skills I am learning in Dr. Michelle Smith’s lab and from a network of other mentors: Dr. Allison Godwin, Dr. Jacob Landis, and Dr. Chelsea Specht.
What is next for you?
I am starting my second year of my postdoc, and I am excited to be hitting the ground running, leading three manuscripts in the Smith Lab. I am excited to continue working with and mentoring my undergraduates.
Do you have any advice for current graduate students?
Understanding failure is an opportunity, and embracing it! Graduate school is inherently going to have some challenging moments. Experiments fail, grant proposals are rejected, essential shipments get lost, and life happens. What is important is not to view failure as something bad, but as an opportunity to grow.
