David Caprette and Beth Beason-Abmayr have transformed Biosciences education at Rice by championing a new era of hands-on learning. Their work replaced “cookie-cutter” exercises with authentic research experiences that prepare students to think like scientists.
The shift began in the 1980s, when Caprette, now teaching professor emeritus, helped launch the modular laboratory program. Introduced in 1990, these stand-alone, half-semester courses gave students flexibility while opening space for more creative exploration.
Building on this foundation, Beason-Abmayr, with Caprette and colleague Liz Eich, director of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry, further developed Biosciences’ lab courses into full-semester Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences. Beason-Abmayr led the expansion, immersing students in open-ended projects where they design experiments, analyze original data and confront the realities of discovery, including the possibility of failure. This model has since spread across the curriculum and earned national recognition for advancing undergraduate research training.
In 2024, Beason-Abmayr was named the first Kathleen and Randall Matthews Teaching Professor of BioSciences — Rice’s inaugural endowed chair for non-tenure track faculty — a milestone that underscores the enduring impact of their shared innovations.
