Welcome to my website/textbook/blog. I am Timothy Paustian, a Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I teach Advanced Laboratory Techniques in Microbiology, Prokaryotic Microbiology Lecture and Lab, and The Microbial World (a course for non-majors). I enjoy teaching and have been honored to work with students for over 34 years. My research interest is in microbiology education, where I led the development of the Microbiology Concept Inventory and am currently working on an updated version with a collection of gifted faculty from around the country. I also have an interest in the impact of artificial intelligence on higher education, exploring how students are using it and how faculty can monitor appropriate use.
Outside of work, I have deep interests in exercise, hiking, nutrition, skiing, and playing soccer. On many summer days, you can find me out on the pitch, passing too often to the opposing team. I have rediscovered my love of downhill skiing after a 25-year hiatus and frequent some of the local ski hills in the area. I tend to use workouts developed by Tony Horton (of P90X fame) and Jeff Cavaliere. I love playing MMORPGs and played Toontown for years with my kids. Did you know it’s still going? I am also an active player in Final Fantasy XIV, which is, in my opinion, one of the best MMORPGs out there.