Dr. Cabeen teaches two courses here at OSU. In the Fall, he teaches MICR 4423 (also cross-listed as a graduate course, MICR 5423): Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance. In the Spring, he teaches MICR 2123, Introduction to Microbiology, and an Honors add-on to that course, MICR 2890. Both courses also have online sections with professional-quality lecture videos.
Dr. Cabeen believes strongly in clear, logical, enthusiastic instruction. For all of his courses, he publishes lists of learning objectives that the course is designed to meet. Exams are designed to assess whether students have met the learning objectives. Review sessions before exams review and summarize the learning objectives. His teaching skill has been recognized with awards, including the 2022 Distinguished Teaching Award from the College of Arts and Sciences.
Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance
Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance is a popular course that has grown every year since its introduction, from about 30 students in 2018 to over 130 students in 2022. We talk about the fascinating history of antibiotic discovery, and how antibiotics changed medicine forever. We discuss the structures of different classes of antibiotics, how they function, and how bacteria have learned to fight back. We talk about challenges to developing new antibiotics, alternatives to antibiotics, and antibiotic-discovery strategies for the future. Here is the course objective and philosophy:
I have designed this course to teach you about how antibiotics were first discovered and developed; what kinds of antibiotics exist and how they work; how bacteria resist the action of antibiotics; how antibiotics are used today; and what challenges face the use and future development of antibiotics. I aim to teach a course that appeals to anyone interested in science, microbiology, chemistry, or medicine, as antibiotics really have changed the course of human history and have revolutionized medicine and agriculture. I also want this course to be challenging but fun, with clear learning objectives. The course will be at its best when I do my part as a conscientious professor and you do your part as a diligent student; I will work hard to hold up my end of the bargain by trying to deliver interesting lectures and by reviewing important information in class.
What do students say about this class and the instructor?
I was able to see a friend of mine over the holidays who is currently in his 3rd year at Duke Med School. He had a patient that exhibited Vancomycin resistant bacteria. This led to us discussing how Vancomycin worked against bacteria. He actually had no idea how it functioned against bacterial cells, but I was able to explain it and have a further in depth conversation about ABx's and their mechanisms of action. Was a cool moment that I thoroughly enjoyed. So thank you again for a great class. One of the best as I learned a ton from it. (Email from a student who took the class in 2019)
Dr. Cabeen has definitely been one of the best professors I have had in my four years at Oklahoma State. You can tell he has a deep passion for teaching his students and when professors have that it makes the class so much more enjoyable. I would recommend this class and professor to anyone that likes science and especially those pursuing a career in the health field. I feel as though I am leaving the class with an expanded knowledge on antibiotics and their mechanisms. The class never felt hard but I believe that is because of his teaching approach and how well he explained each process. (Anonymous student feedback from 2020)
The material in the course is extremely interesting and complex and I would say that it is my favorite class I've taken so far. I appreciate how into detail Dr. Cabeen goes with all of his explanations to make sure that we can all understand what he is teaching about. I think the material was very well rounded and I truly feel like I learned so much in here. (Anonymous student feedback from 2019)
The material for this course is really interesting. The course is overall well thought out, as well as well executed. I have loved every minute of this class, which isn’t something I can say about others. (Anonymous student feedback from 2019)
Dr. Cabeen has been one of the best instructors I have taken a course with in my entire Undergraduate coursework. He is professional, respectful, engaged and always prepared for class and student questions. (Anonymous student feedback from 2020)
Dr. Cabeen is a great professor. I learned so much and I especially loved that what I learned about was relevant to my future career path and experience in lab. I think the topics covered coordinated with other professor’s lessons which really helped me ingrained the information in my brain. Thank you for a great semester! (Anonymous student feedback from 2021)
This has been my favorite course I have taken in college. It is so relevant to the world today, and the course material is up to date also. It is so interesting to learn all of the different aspects of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance, and not just the science of it. I loved learning the background and the economic importance just as much as the science. I never would have expected to enjoy a course so much or look forward to going to class as much as I have. I personally do not have any complaints or think there is anything that needs improvement. (Anonymous student feedback from 2019)
Dr. Cabeen was the perfect blend of charismatic and professional. Easily one of the best learning experiences I've had. I don't know what I would change about this class. (Anonymous student feedback from 2021)
This was the best course I have ever taken. The material was interesting and can absolutely be applied in my future career plans. (Anonymous student feedback from 2019)
The lectures were fantastic. Having Dr. Cabeen writing everything down as he spoke I think made things so much easier to listen to and digest. I found the exams and assignments to be very straightforward and I felt like I was given all of the tools I needed to do a great job. And even with the amount of information, I never felt that the workload was too much to handle. (Anonymous student feedback from 2022)
this course was bomb! totally worth it when it came to historical context, biology, and modern application. (Anonymous student feedback from 2019)
Dr. Cabeen has been the best professor I have had in college, and I have taken multiple classes with some amazing professors, so that says a lot. He genuinely cares about teaching students, and not just helping them achieve a grade. He makes his about learning and understanding, not just about doing assignments or testing to get that desired grade. He is so passionate about teaching and about this subject that it makes everyone excited to learn about it too. If you pay attention and take notes, it is kind of impossible to not learn anything and make bad grades in this course. Dr. Cabeen makes his classroom a comfortable environment to ask questions, discuss a topic, and answer questions/interact during the lecture. He cares about knowing his students and being there to help in any way. I have never had a professor care about teaching and helping as much as Dr. Cabeen has, and it really has made me more excited and motivated about learning again. (Anonymous student feedback from 2019)
I LOVED this class and have told all of my micro friends to take it. He is a great teacher and makes things interesting. the way the class is designed I actually wanted to learn the material and didn't have to stress out about the tests or homework. (Anonymous student feedback from 2021)
Dr. Cabeen knows his stuff. It’s actually amazing how hyped he gets about antibiotics in class. It definitely helps class to be more interesting at times. He’s always receptive of questions and people trying to answer even if they don’t get it correct. One of the best professors on this campus for sure. (Anonymous student feedback from 2019)
Introduction to Microbiology
Introduction to Microbiology is a popular course for freshman and sophomores. Dr. Cabeen is one of four instructors for this course; Drs. Youssef and Marley teach MICR 2123 sections in the Fall, and Dr. Beckmann teaches a section in the Spring. We cover similar material but each in our own style. Dr. Cabeen offers an online section of Introduction to Microbiology that includes professional-quality studio-recorded lectures. This course covers basic biology from a microbiology perspective. Here is the course objective and philosophy:
This fundamental course is designed to teach you biology in the context of microbes (primarily bacteria). We will study the history of microbiology and the techniques used to conduct experiments with microbes; microbial cell structure and function; how bacteria function at the molecular level (molecular biology and molecular genetics); how bacteria obtain and use nutrients; the variety of microbes in the world; the bacteria that dwell in and on us; and how bacteria can make us sick and how our bodies fight back. I aim to teach a course that appeals to students who are interested in biology, especially at the molecular level. I want this course to be highly informative, covering a variety of topics, and also fun, with clear learning objectives. The course will be at its best when I do my part as a conscientious professor and you do your part as a diligent student; I will work hard to hold up my end of the bargain by trying to deliver interesting lectures and by reviewing important information in class.
What do students say about this class and the instructor?
I didn't realize how much I would like microbiology until I took this course. (Anonymous student feedback from 2019)
I went into this class with a negative mindset because I thought it would be boring and too challenging. Within the first week, my whole attitude changed. The class was very interesting! I always left the classroom curious and ready to return and learn some more. (Anonymous student feedback from 2020)
There was a lot of material to be learned in one semester, but I believe that the workload was perfect. The lessons flowed throughout the semester, so it was super easy to take previously learned material and apply it to the material that we were learning. (Anonymous student feedback from 2020)
The review class periods were really helpful and made me understand everything and I liked how the homework correlated with the exams. (Anonymous student feedback from 2020)
I never imagined that Microbiology would be one of my favorite courses but this class superseded my expectations! (Anonymous student feedback from 2019)
I did not know what to expect from this course, but I have thoroughly enjoyed it. The instructor made it interesting and relevant. The topics discussed were very interesting and important to my field of study. (Anonymous student feedback from 2019)
Dr. Cabeen is by far the best professor I have ever had. He is so passionate about what he does that it makes the class so enjoyable and a great environment. I love how he uses analogies to help clarify different processes. (Anonymous student feedback from 2022)
Cabeen made coming to class fun. He was always super enthusiastic to teach, and he knew a lot of information about the course material. Out of my 13 years of education, Cabeen is my favorite educator that I have ever had. He is extremely nice, and whenever anyone had a question, he was eager to answer it. It was obvious that he knew what he was talking about. He made the assignments and tests to cover only what was taught in lecture which was a wonderful aspect of the class. I will definitely take another course with him. (Anonymous student feedback from 2019)
Dr. Cabeen was great. His enthusiasm for the subject made class really interesting. The presentations helped me to have access to the content of each lecture before class, organize my notes, and pay attention to what the instructor was saying in class. Dr. Cabeen's humor and anecdotes made class something to look forward to everyday. (Anonymous student feedback from 2021)
Dr. Cabeen is amazing and does a great job teaching a boring subject (Anonymous student feedback from 2019; maybe my favorite comment)
AMAZING! Dr. Cabeen can make learning about anything entertaining and even made being in class early in the morning enjoyable. It is very obvious that he cares about his students and is passionate about his studies and it is very refreshing to see. (Anonymous student feedback from 2020)
AWESOME class! Thank you for making the most of the unprecedented situation and continuing to make this a worthwhile class that allowed me to continue learning! (Anonymous student feedback from 2020)
Honestly one of my favorite classes I have taken yet, professor Cabeen does an excellent job sharing his passion for the subject and getting the class involved. Great work. (Anonymous student feedback from 2022)
Dr. Cabeen is an excellent teacher, you can tell it is one of his gifts in life! I enjoyed how engaging his lectures were, how devoted he was to his students understanding a concept, and his energy doing class time. Additionally, his course had very good lecture videos after the transition to online learning. It was very similar to attending class. (Anonymous student feedback from 2020)
Dr. Cabeen is absolutely amazing. His passion for the subject is very apparent and it is clear that he loves teaching. He made a very comfortable learning environment and I can confidently say that I learned so much from him. This class is my favorite class that I've taken in college so far. (Anonymous student feedback from 2021)
Dr. Cabeen is an incredible instructor. You can really tell that he loves the subject matter and teaching. He really knows his stuff and it shows. He frequently does examples and analogies to help his students understand some more complicated concepts. This proved to be extremely helpful to me. I would 100% recommend him to anyone needing to take this class. (Anonymous student feedback from 2020)