Dr. Dornhoffer received his Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Hendrix College in Arkansas, and his PhD in Marine Sciences from the University of Georgia. He received several awards during his schooling, including a nomination to the Excellence in Teaching Award while receiving his PhD. Prior to joining the founding faculty team at BASIS Independent Bellevue, Dr. Dornhoffer taught biology at BASIS Independent Silicon Valley for six years. As a biology Subject Expert Teacher, Dr. Dornhoffer is also a Subject Advisor and Summer Institute trainer responsible for orienting new teachers to BASIS Independent schools. “Throughout everything I do, I aim to ignite a spark and passion for the natural world, and to cultivate a sense of curiosity and inquisitiveness in our students,” says Dr. Dornhoffer. Dr. Dornhoffer’s overall goal is to instill a sense of curiosity in his students, as well as giving them tools to satisfy that curiosity rigorously and scientifically. But that also means developing a willingness to be wrong and make mistakes, so his very first goal is to set up a classroom space where being wrong is OK. What drew Dr. Dornhoffer to BASIS Independent schools was the opportunity to give him a chance to work with world-class teachers training world-class students in a world-class curriculum. But they do so while also giving him the freedom to develop into the best possible teacher in his field. When not in the biology lab, Dr. Dornhoffer is an avid cyclist and loves taking hikes. He is also a keen model hobbyist, and enjoys working with model trains and ships.​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌​‍‌‌​​​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍​‍‌‌‍​​​‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‍​‌‌‌‌​​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‍‌‌‌‍‌‌​​‌​‌‍​​‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍​‍‌‌