Dr. Sushilla Knottenbelt, Principal Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, joined the University of New Mexico in 2004 as a postdoctoral fellow in Bioinorganic Chemistry after earning her Ph.D. in Computational Chemistry from the University of York in the United Kingdom. Driven by a passion for teaching, she transitioned to a lecturer role and contributed to a STEM course redesign initiative focused on using evidence-based teaching methods to improve student outcomes in large General Chemistry courses. Dr. Knottenbelt has supported faculty across UNM in utilizing learning studio classrooms, peer-learning facilitators, and most recently, as Faculty lead for the UNM Student Experience Project, in implementing strategies validated by social psychology to support student belonging. She co-leads a multi-institution community of practice focused on these social psychological interventions within an HHMI Inclusive Excellence 3 learning community. Before joining the Dean’s Office, she served as the A&S Director of UNM’s Combined BA/MD Degree Program for six years.