Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology

Donald C. Rizzo is professor emeritus at Marygrove College in Detroit, Michigan, where he taught Human Anatomy and Physiology and Medical Terminology. He also taught Biology II: The Unity and Diversity of Life, Principles of Biology, Parasitology, Zoology and Botany. He conducted biological fieldwork around the globe. Dr. Rizzo began his teaching career at Marygrove College in 1974 and served as chairperson of the Science and Mathematics department from 1975–2006. His numerous awards include the 2010 Marygrove College Presidential Award for Service, the 2009 Marygrove College Presidential Award for Scholarship, 2006 Marygrove College Presidential Award for Teaching, 1992 Marygrove College Teacher Scholar Award and the 1990 Sears Roebuck Foundation Teaching Excellence and Campus Leadership Award. Dr. Rizzo has published in the Journal of Intervertebrate Pathology and co-authored a computerized test bank for medical terminology. Along with two colleagues, he has presented at national and international conferences on the interdisciplinary service learning course, HIV/AIDS: Its Biological and Social Impact. In addition, he incorporates service learning into all the courses he teaches. Dr. Rizzo received his B.A. in biology and education in 1968 from Boston State College (now the University of Massachusetts at Boston), his M.S. in 1970 and his Ph.D. in 1973 from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

Elisa Ratliff has over 14 years of teaching a variety of biology courses in both high school and college settings. She has a history of developing courses and curriculum that actively engage students in the learning process. She enjoys the challenge of teaching complex physiological processes in a way that all learners can understand. She received a B.S. in biology from Alverno College in Milwaukee, WI in 2007 and immediately began teaching high school science in Florida. She credits these early experiences with challenging her to develop multiple teaching strategies to meet diverse students’ needs, all of which helped her become a better communicator and teacher. She was named High School Teacher of the Year at University Christian School in 2009. Her well-rounded education includes a master’s degree in education from the University of North Florida that focused on adult education and health sciences and a M.S. in microbiology and cell science from the University of Florida. She has taught for several institutions of higher education starting at Florida State College at Jacksonville. At Clark State College in Beavercreek, Ohio, she taught both face-to-face and online/hybrid formats of anatomy and physiology and microbiology courses. While there, she built several successful Quality Matters certified online courses that integrated Cengage’s MindTap. During her tenure at Clark State, she received the Southwest Ohio Council for Higher Ed (SOCHE) Faculty Excellence Award in 2017. In recent years, Elisa has opted for wide open spaces and a small-town lifestyle. She currently resides with her family in her home state of North Dakota where she teaches dual enrollment biology courses through Lake Region State College at Valley-Edinburg High School.