A reluctant author writes the book her students needed
Lauren Dalton, senior instructor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Oregon State University, never thought of herself as a writer. She chose science, in part, because she believed it would spare her the long papers and prose-heavy assignments common in other fields.
But after nearly a decade of teaching cell biology without a low-cost textbook that truly fit her course, Dalton decided it was time to help write the book her students needed.
And now, she can call herself an award-winning author.
Dalton wrote the book “Fundamentals of Cell Biology” with her colleague Robin Young, associate professor of teaching in the Department of Biology at the University of British Columbia Okanagan.
The writing process took two years, a dedicated illustrator, several rounds of proofreading and multiple peer reviews. In 2024, the book was published in collaboration with Oregon State’s Open Educational Resources Unit.
In 2025, Dalton won an Oregon State University Faculty Affordability Award for the book, and she and her co-author won an OER Champion Award from Open Oregon Educational Resources.
Why write a textbook?
Years ago, Dalton and her co-author Young both taught a cell biology course at the University of British Columbia Vancouver. Even though they now teach cell biology at two different institutions, their courses remain similar. So has their need for a comprehensive and low-cost textbook.
“Many cell biology textbooks had more information than was needed, and so we ended up jumping from topic to topic, and it made it a disjointed experience for the students,” Dalton said. “Sometimes we were even combining multiple textbooks to really get information to students.”
The pair watched the market closely, hoping someone would write the book students needed. “And then we decided that we were the people who actually needed to do it,” Dalton said.
The two planned, from the start, to publish an openly licensed book.
“There had always been a desire to have it be openly licensed and expand students’ opportunities to engage with cell biology,” she said.
Measuring the impact
Dalton’s book is part of an Oregon State course that’s a requirement for seven different majors across three different OSU colleges. Since publication, the book has collectively saved Oregon State students more than $60,000.
Students also tell Dalton directly how much they appreciate her time and expertise.
“They’re really excited that a book was written just for their class and they are even more excited that it doesn’t cost them anything. So that is a big motivator. The number of people who just write me thank-yous is high,” she said.
More than 30 other universities have also adopted the textbook so far, and it’s been downloaded 17,741 times.
Advice for faculty authors
At Oregon State, students spend an average of $179.19 per term on textbooks, and in a recent Oregon State survey of students, 69% of respondents said they were worried about being able to pay for course materials.
Openly licensed books can be a big help. Dalton has advice for new authors, including finding the right collaborators.
“It’s a big task to do alone, and I think you get a better product by having a diversity of thought,” she said.
Dalton and her co-author Young connected online regularly, sharing feedback and editing completed sections.
“I think because we both were able to work on this project, we were able to leverage each other’s expertise. If it didn’t make sense to me, then she knew that she had to come up with a different way of talking about it,” she said. “And if it didn’t make sense to her, then we knew that I had to come up with a different way of talking about it. And it’s just way more fun.”
She also recommended securing funding early, as costs for copy editing and illustrations can add up quickly.
How Oregon State supports open textbooks
The help Dalton describes is built into Oregon State’s approach to open educational resources. Faculty who are interested in creating or adapting open textbooks can connect with the Open Educational Resources Unit for help, including grant funding to support the publication process.
Books published through the OERU are available online at no cost to students and can be adapted or adopted by other instructors, allowing faculty to tailor materials for students. To date, the OERU has published nearly 60 books and awarded more than $213,000 in grants to Oregon State faculty.
Oregon State also keeps a dashboard of student use, and Dalton watches that carefully. “I enjoy looking at the data dashboard and seeing big peaks. I tell myself, ‘Oh, I bet there was just an exam then,’ ” she said.
Learn more about OER
Join Oregon State educators and students for Open Education Week March 2–6. In this online event, you’ll learn more about open educational practices and get inspired by affordability work happening at Oregon State and around the world.
Find more information about this year’s Open Education Week virtual events and register today.
