TEACHING

Teaching has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career thus far. My own undergraduate education at a liberal arts college inspired me to seek out teaching opportunities at every step of my training. In my experience, a biology education requires a strong foundation in problem-solving and communication skills. I emphasize inquiry-based learning in the classroom by teaching students to work in teams, design experiments, analyze real-world data, and read published papers. These exercises develop scientific literacy and equip students with transferable skills that apply to many careers.

Is Evolution Predictable?

I received a Distinguished Teaching Fellowship at the University of Virginia to design and teach an upper-level undergraduate class as the instructor of record. I attended an intensive course design institute and developed a class that challenges students to read and discuss new peer-reviewed publications each week. The central goal of the class was to investigate and debate whether evolutionary processes are predictable.

Check out the class syllabus and website. 

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Anonymous Feedback:

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"The fact that we spent most of the class discussing the papers really helped me learn how to read scientific articles and think critically about them. In addition, doing presentations/leading discussions is a useful skill to have that I don't get to practice often in biology classes."

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"He was very good at creating discussion and his assignments were all constructive and thought out."

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"The weekly quizzes were helpful. The weekly articles contrasted each other well and had a lot of thought into each one. The student presentations were enjoyable."

Coursework

I opted for additional coursework during my PhD and enrolled in Teaching Science in Higher Education, where I spent the semester designing an inquiry-driven lab on meiosis that can be implemented in introductory biology classes. I also received comprehensive feedback on my teaching from students, peers, and a faculty mentor. I synthesized the student feedback as part of a final report, which included analyses of quantitative and qualitative data from an anonymous survey.

Qualitative Feedback:

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"I now realize that not all scientists are scary and intense. I feel more inclined to pursue science in school."

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"His enthusiasm for science makes me enthusiastic about it as well."

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"[He] isn't judgmental when someone asks questions, is always positive and helpful."