Dr. Plaisance is an Associate Professor in Knowledge Integration at the University of Waterloo (UW) in Canada. She has an undergraduate degree in molecular biology and philosophy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a PhD in philosophy of science from the University of Minnesota. Her research examines collaborations between researchers in the humanities and STEM fields, including common barriers to such collaborations, the key benefits that arise from them, and what can be done to foster more fruitful collaborations.

Over the past 15 years, Dr. Plaisance has played a pivotal role in helping to build the Knowledge Integration program at UW, an interdisciplinary undergraduate degree that emphasizes transferable skills like critical thinking, real-world problem solving, and the ability to work effectively in diverse teams. She regularly partners with undergraduate students to co-design courses and curricula. This included the design of a university-wide course called “Making Collaboration Work,” which offers students the opportunity to work in interdisciplinary teams to address a real-world design challenge. She has also studied the effectiveness of this course with respect to students’ experiences of psychological safety, their appreciation for diverse perspectives, and their attitudes towards teamwork. (This work will be published in the December 2024 issue of the Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.)

Dr. Plaisance co-directs a Community of Practice on Collaboration and Teamwork at UW through which she offers workshops and materials for instructors on enhancing group work in the classroom. She also offers consulting services for faculty members who are seeking to improve collaborative experiences for their students or enhance the effectiveness of their research teams.