She joined the University of Houston in Fall 2012 and has taught the two Introduction to Biological Sciences courses, BIOL 1361 and BIOL 1362 every year since then. In the summers, she teaches Biological Field Research at UH's Coastal Center in LaMarque, TX. Dr. Cheek's goal in all her classes is to foster students' interest in and enjoyment of biology by sharing her own sense of wonder at the complex and beautiful living world. At the same time she deliberately challenges students to think like scientists: to go beyond learning facts and processes toward applying knowledge to new situations, analyzing data and evaluating hypotheses. Dr. Cheek's favorite aspect of working with first year students is their willingness to ask questions.