TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
My success as a biologist stems largely from early exposure to scientific research and research mentors. In my first research position, I remember eagerly working to understand the rationale behind our experimental design, working collaboratively to troubleshoot protocols when we weren’t obtaining data, and the satisfaction of getting to analyze my first data set and see patterns in the results. The experience of engaging with the complete scientific method gave me an enthusiasm for inquiry that made learning seem second nature. This experience heavily influenced my teaching philosophy. As an educator and a biologist, I believe it is my responsibility to instill my students with the same enthusiasm, confidence, and skill set that experience with scientific research gave me. I aim to do so through inquiry-driven hands on research and learning, whereby students learn fundamental concepts through collaborative hypothesis forming, experimental design, and testing, while gaining marketable skills and confidence in their critical thinking and communication abilities. I am excited to develop and teach classes that are both research and lecture based, relying heavily on primary literature and student-led activities, with the ultimate goal of increasing scientific literacy and innovative thinking. I will also leverage my research program to create opportunities for students to pursue independent research throughout their undergraduate careers.
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TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Fall 2020-23
Project mentor, TP: Experimental design, University of Lausanne. Summer 2019 Teaching Associate (Instructor of record), INT 93LS: Human population genetics, University of California, Santa Barbara. 28 students; lower division. Spring 2019 Teaching associate (Instructor of record), EEMB131: Principles of Evolution, University of California, Santa Barbara. 140 students; upper division. Winter 2018-19 Teaching Associate (Instructor of record), EEMB7: Evolution and physiology for brain science majors, University of California, Santa Barbara. 210 students, lower division. Summer 2013-13 Assistant Instructor, MCDB161L: Research Immersion in Molecular Biosciences, University of California, Santa Barbara. Instructor: Dr. Alison Pischedda. 30 students, upper division. June 2016- March 2019 Laboratory curriculum development, MCDB101BL: Using the common laboratory model Drosophila to demonstrate the driving principles of evolution. 1000+ students; lower division. TA-ships: 2014 EEMB101: Molecular Evolution, UCSB 2015 EEMB3L: Origins of Diversity Lab, UCSB 2016 MCDB1BL/EEMB2L: Introduction to Biology, UCSB 2016 - 19 EEMB131: Principles of Evolution, UCSB 2016 - 19 EEMB130: Population Genetics, UCSB 2018 EEMB127: Plant Biodiversity, UCSB |
MENTORSHIP EXPERIENCE
UNIL Management experience:
Supervisee Years Position Camille Guerin 2022 Laboratory Intern Liliane Abuin 2022-present Laboratory Technician UNIL Master student mentorship: Student Years Position Julien Cerneux 2021 MLS Master student, UNIL Lou Lescuyer deDecker 2020 BEC Master student, UNIL UCSB Undergraduate Mentorship: Student Years Position Jason Rodriguez 2018 – present 4th year Biology major, UCSB Devon Cooper 2018 – present 4th year Biology major, UCSB Jordan Caldwell 2017-2018 B.Sc. Zoology, UCSB Kathryn Feerst 2017 UCSB Leads scholar, Biology Jeremy McIntyre 2016-2017 Lab Technician, Cornell University Cameryn Brock 2015-2016 UCSB Bren Master Env. Sci. |