Patti Christie

Dr. Patti Christie is a dedicated educator who has shaped chemistry and biology education at MIT for over two decades. As Department Head of Chemistry and Biology at MIT's Experimental Study Group, she has been teaching since 1995 and transitioned to full-time teaching in 1999. After earning her Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from MIT in 1996, she worked in a cardiovascular laboratory in the Biology Department from 1996 to 2005, where she contributed to developing and studying a mouse model for heart attacks. Her teaching innovations include designing popular seminars like Kitchen Chemistry and Chemistry of Sports, while also serving as course coordinator for MIT's general chemistry courses 5.111 and 5.112. Christie's commitment to education extends beyond traditional classroom teaching through her development of video resources for EdX and ESG, creation of MIT OpenCourseWare scholar classes, and curriculum design for the Singapore University of Technology and Design. She also contributes to the broader MIT community by helping run the MIT Masters swimming program and training undergraduate instructors through the ESG Teaching Seminar. Her dual background in Chemistry and Biology from Lakehead University has enabled her to bring an interdisciplinary perspective to her teaching and educational development work.