Associate Dean for Student Affairs
Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences
Contact Information
Email:Biosketch
Dr. Maria Sheakley is Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Professor of Physiology in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (WMed). Dr. Sheakley received her undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Akron and her doctorate degree in biomedical sciences from Kent State University, where she studied signaling cascades related to vascular proliferative diseases.
As a founding faculty member at WMed, Dr. Sheakley helped to design, build, and implement the TBL-centered integrated organ-system curriculum. She currently teaches physiology lectures in the cardiovascular, pulmonary, and renal system courses in the preclinical curriculum. Dr. Sheakley has received numerous awards from students for teaching at WMed and her previous teaching institutions and has been recognized for overall excellence in medical education.
Throughout her career, Dr. Sheakley has been active in medical education with a particular interest in high-fidelity simulation and Team-Based Learning (TBL). She has published scholarly work in medical education largely focused in these two areas and continues to study the impacts of active learning in medical education. In addition, Dr. Sheakley is passionate about the development and advancement of medical educators and has published and presented in this field nationally and internationally.
In addition to her roles at WMed, Dr. Sheakley is an active member of the Team-Based Learning Collaborative (TBLC), where she earned certification as a Trainer-Consultant for TBL in 2016 and chaired the national TBLC meeting in 2017. She has led numerous TBL faculty development workshops at WMed and other medical schools since 2016. In addition, Dr. Sheakley is active in the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) where she serves as a member of the Board of Directors, a member of the Committee for the Advancement of Medical Science Educators (CAMSE - a subcommittee of the Professional Development Committee), a member of the Finance Committee, and Chair of the 2022 Annual Program Committee
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Education and Training
- Predoctoral Fellowship 2023, Leadership, Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine® (ELAM®) fellowship, Drexel University
- Certificate 2022, Mental Health First Aid, Integrated Services of Kalamazoo
- Postdoctoral Training 2020, Systems Approach to Assessment, Harvard Macy Institute
- Certificate 2019, Leadership Education and Development, Association of American Medical Colleges
- Certificate 2016, Team-Based Learning Trainer-Consultant, Team-Based Learning Collaborative
- Certificate 2008, Essential Skills in Medical Education, Association for Medical Education in Europe
- PhD 2005, Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University
- BS 1999, Biology, Department of Biology, University of Akron
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Language Fluency
- English, fluent
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Research
- groups teams teamwork
- Use of Simulation Technology in Education
- Medical Physiology
- Education, Medical
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Publications
Bauler T.J., Sheakley M.L., Turula H., Miller L., Busha M.E. A Virtual Patient Encounter to Promote Integration in a Preclinical Case-Based Learning Session Medical Science Educator. 2023;33:331-332.
Armijo A., Eldeeb K., Fairley S., Groenen M., Montemayor J.R., Myrick E., Robinson B., Rogers J., Schokking M., Sheakley M. IAMSE Meeting Report: Student Plenary at the 26th Annual Conference of the International Association of Medical Science Educators Medical Science Educator. 2022;32:15-19.
Woodcock J., Henderson C., Sheakley M. To What Extent Do Faculty and Students Believe that Team-Based Learning Supports Important Goals of Undergraduate Medical Education? Medical Science Educator. 2022;32:1107-1116.
Bauler T.J., Sheakley M.L., Ho A. Use of the Team-Based Learning Readiness Assessment Test as a Low-Stakes Weekly Summative Assessment to Promote Spaced and Retrieval-Based Learning Medical Science Educator. 2020;30:605-608.
Busha M., Gibson K., Sheakley M., Greene J. Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine Academic Medicine. 2020;95:S258-S261.
Lackey-Cornelison W., Sheakley M. The Value of Longitudinal Integrated TBLs and How to Create Them Medical Science Educator. 2019;29:1187-1191.
Sheakley M.L., Bauler L., Tanager C.L., Newby D. Student Perceptions of a Novel Approach to Promote Professionalism Using Peer Evaluation in a Team-Based Learning™ Setting: a Quality Improvement Project Medical Science Educator. 2019;29:1229-1232.
Sheakley M.L., Bauler T.J., Vandre D.D., Woodwyk A., Dickinson B.L. Effectiveness of instructor-guided independent learning in comparison to traditional didactic lecture in the preclinical medical curriculum: A retrospective cohort study Medical Teacher. 2019;41(7):795-801.
Dickinson B.L., Deming N., Coplit L., Huggett K.N., Quesnelle K., Sheakley M., Rosenfeld G., Wragg S. IAMSE Member Perspectives on the Recognition, Reward, and Promotion of Medical Science Educators: an IAMSE Sponsored Survey Medical Science Educator. 2018;28(2):335-343.
Dickinson B.L., Lackey W., Sheakley M., Miller L., Jevert S., Shattuck B. Involving a real patient in the design and implementation of case-based learning to engage learners Advances in Physiology Education. 2018;42(1):118-122.
Lammers R., Sheakley M.L., Hendren S. A Simulated Case of Acute Salicylate Toxicity From an Intentional Overdose MedEdPORTAL : the journal of teaching and learning resources. 2018;14:10678.
Lammers R., Pazderka P., Sheakley M. A Multipatient Simulation Session: Evaluation of Six Simulated Patients with Different Shock Syndromes MedEdPORTAL : the journal of teaching and learning resources. 2017;13:10591.
Hall M., Sheakley M., Callender D., Pederson D., Gilbert G.E., Leighton K. Enhancing Knowledge Retention of Cardiovascular Physiology Using Simulation Medical Science Educator. 2016;26(1):111-116.
Keator C., Dickinson B.L., Lackey W.L., Morris A., Quesnelle K.M., Riddle D.R., Sheakley M.L., Vanden Heuvel G.B., Vandre D.D. Explorations: a New Approach to Self-Directed Learning in a Competency-Based Curriculum Medical Science Educator. 2016;26:777-785.
Sheakley M.L., Gilbert G.E., Leighton K., Hall M., Callender D., Pederson D. A brief simulation intervention increasing basic science and clinical knowledge Medical Education Online. 2016;21(1)
Lindner I., Sacks D., Sheakley M., Seidel C., Wahlig B.C., Rojas J.D., Coleman M.T. A pre-matriculation learning program that enables medical students with low prerequisite scores to succeed Medical Teacher. 2013;35(10):872-873.
Freeman E., Sheakley M., Clements R. Angiotensin II-dependent growth of vascular smooth muscle cells requires transactivation of the epidermal growth factor receptor via a cytosolic phospholipase A<inf>2</inf>-mediated release of arachidonic acid Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics. 2010;498(1):50-56.
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Presentations
- Gamifying tutorials - using a BINGO game to review medical physiology. Temprine K, Phan H, Sheakley M, Bouma G, Bayer A, Shah B, 42nd Annual Kalamazoo Community and Health Sciences Research Day, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 04/2024
- Repeated Self- and Peer-Evaluation Reduces Gender Disparity Seen in Self-Evaluations. Singh S, Bauler L, Allison S, Sheakley M, 40th Annual Kalamazoo Community Medical and Health Sciences Research Day, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 04/2022