Teaching

Teaching and learning happen inside and outside of the classroom! I regularly teach math and data science courses, and also love working with students on research projects.  I am a big fan of "learn by doing!"

Here are student evaluations from a recent upper division class.  I was honored to be nominated by my colleagues and students for the campus-wide Excellence in Teaching Award in 2026.

Here are some student projects:

Modeling Microglia and Neurodegeneration

I currently work with multiple students on this project, funded by the NSF.

Modeling COVID-19

I worked with three undergraduate students, modeling the interactions of the immune system and SARS-CoV-2.  Our models are both deterministic and agent-based. 

Exploration of Microbial Communities

We analyzed microbes in a gut sample and used exploratory data analysis to visualize hierarchical relationships in this community.

Mathematical Contest in Modeling Poster Presentations

Students summarized contest results for IdeaFest poster presentations.  Many unique posters have been presented over the years.  

Data Carpentries Certified Instructor

I am a certified instructor for The Carpentries, which teaches foundational coding and data science skills to researchers worldwide.

Data Science Education Podcast Guest

I was a guest, along with two of my amazing students, on UC Berekely's Data Science Education podcast.  We had the opportunity to discuss our research projects and "data for good" at Cal Poly Humboldt.

Math Camp USA/Canada

Math Camp is an intensive summer program and vibrant community for mathematically talented high school students.  I co-taught a course on Mathematical Modeling in Biology using Agent Based Models in 2018.

Math Modeling in Biotechnology

I co-developed and co-taught a grant funded course at Cal Poly Humboldt with Bori Mazzag.  We worked with faculty in Biology, Kinesiology and Psychology to develop mathematical modeling modules around open research problems.

Summer Program for Women in Mathematics at the George Washington University

SPWM is an intensive summer program for mathematically talented undergraduate women who may be contemplating graduate study.  I designed and taught a course for this program on mathematical models in biology.