Each semester, on the first day of classes, Laura Ott and Eric Hastie kick off their biology classes in exactly the same way: by gushing over their passion for biology education research. The field aims to improve learning processes and educational outcomes — and is fueled by teachers like Ott and Hastie, who want their students to engage with and succeed in biology. That’s why the duo cofounded the Carolina Biology Education Research (CBER) Lab.