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Arts & Sciences

Faculty

Shannon Kincaid

e-mail: skincaid@wpcc.edu

Photo of Doctor Shannon Kincaid with her horse and dog

Dr. Shannon Kincaid

I am Dr. Shannon Kincaid. I became interested in post-secondary teaching after receiving graduate teaching assistantships at both the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) and Utah State University (USU). As a Teaching Assistant, my responsibilities included a variety of activities that supplemented a professor’s instruction. At USU, I was awarded the distinguished honor of Senior Teaching Assistant and served as instructor of record for undergraduate courses and was considered part-time faculty. Tuition waivers augmented my teaching assistantships at both graduate institutions.

I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Lenoir Ryne University. I attended Master of Science degree programs at both UNCG and USU. At UNCG I studied Biology, at USU I studied Animal Science with a concentration in Bioveterinary Science. In addition to MS education, I have over 18 graduate hours in Statistics and over 18 graduate hours in Stable Isotope Ecology. I am a life-long learner and genuinely enjoy the pursuit of knowledge. In 2015, I received a doctorate from Western Carolina University.

Although I spent over 25 years pursuing formal education, the most formative educational experiences of my life took place during my graduate teaching assistantships. Both programs provided me with information that helped develop my teaching philosophy, and added to my repertoire of teaching skills. I base my teaching philosophy on the theory of experiential learning, a holistic integrative perspective on learning that combines experience and cognition. My techniques of teaching follow the laboratory method in which I specifically draw on my experiences as a Research Scientist at the Stable Isotope Ratio Facility for Environmental Research Laboratory in Salt Lake City, Utah, from 2000-2003. This method facilitates learning by a process that begins with experience followed by collection of data and observations about that experience. Students have the opportunity to critically analyze and reflect on those experiences through class discussions and individually written exercises.

In fall, 2005 Western Piedmont Community College hired me to serve as a full-time Biology Instructor in the Science Department. I am credentialed to teach all biology courses and have taught General Biology I, General Biology II, Anatomy & Physiology I, Anatomy & Physiology II, and Microbiology. I became the Department Head of Science in 2016. I serve on several committees that work directly toward the accomplishment of WPCCs mission. These committees include the Quality Enhancement Plan and the Institutional Assessment Committee. I played a role in determining the areas of interest in the Title III Grant and wrote key portions of it; and contributed to the assessment portion of the SACSCOC report during our accreditation process. My objectives for both activities were to achieve effective, impactful outcomes for the betterment of the College.

Because I have an interest in various disciplines of academia, I have been involved in the production of several publications and presentations. The publications I have been involved with include the following:

  • Multigenerational Effects of Flowering & Fruiting Phenology in Plantago lanceolata. Ecology 84:9, 2463-2475. (2003).
  • Impact of Environmental Conditions & Nutritional Management on Nitrogen Utilization on Dairies. M.S. Thesis, Utah State University, Logan. (2006).
  • Factors that Promote Success in Women Enrolled in STEM Disciplines in Rural North Carolina Community Colleges. ProQuest Dissertations; Western Carolina University,

The presentations I have been involved with include the following:

  • The Hairy Tale of Antelope Island Bison: The Use of Stable Isotopes in Nutritional Ecology, presented in 2000 to the Ecological Society of America.
  • Milk Urea Nitrogen as an Indicator of Microbial Nitrogen Metabolism Efficiency in Dairy Cows, presented in 2005 to Utah State University Extension.
  • Analysis of Western Carolina University’s Educational Leadership Foundations (ELF) Internship Programs: Understanding Internship Quality and the Perceptions of Internship Participants (internal publication and presentation in 2009 to Qualitative Research Group, Department of Human Services, Western Carolina University).
  • Strategies that Promote Success in Women Enrolled in STEM Disciplines, presented in 2015 to Qualitative Research Group, Department of Human Services, Western Carolina University.

I am a member of the American Society for Microbiology, the Association of Southeastern Biologist, the Ecological Society of America, and the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society. I am a member and volunteer for Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina and a member and volunteer for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

I enjoy hiking, biking, camping, and all activities I can do while spending time with my husband and two sons. I participate in swimming and running for physical exercise. I appreciate classical music and take pleasure in playing classical piano. I am an avid reader of science nonfiction and love flower gardening. I also enjoy caring for and adoring my dog, my cat, and my two horses.