Teaching Experiences
Teaching Experiences
I have developed extensive teaching and lecturing expertise through my role as an instructor and co-instructor at Miami University during my PhD.
Description: This is a laboratory-based course for non-major students exploring Earth from multiple perspectives: Earth in the solar system; Earth in time; the solid Earth; Earth's surface in flux; Earth's atmosphere and hydrosphere.
My Role: Instructor. Prepared lecture and lab materials, including syllabus, slides, quizzes, and class activities. Lectured and led the labs for the whole semester.
Description: Geology is one of the core disciplines of the Earth Sciences and encompasses many different processes associated with Earth’s atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere in addition to modern-day society's interaction with each of them. This course provides an introduction to physical geology, which is the study of the Earth and the processes that govern its behavior. Key topics that we will address include the formation of the planet and its minerals and rocks, plate tectonics and associated processes, Earth’s internal structure, landscape evolution and surface processes, natural hazards and their impact on society, Earth’s natural resources, and timescales of change. Understanding biological, chemical, and physical processes will be key to discussion of these topics and will require you to think in four dimensions, on time and length scales from atoms and nanoseconds, to hundreds of miles, and billions of years.
My Role: Instructor. Prepared lecture materials, including syllabus, slides, quizzes, exams, and class activities. Lectured the whole semester.
Description: The purpose of this course is to introduce students to one of the most recent, actively evolving research fronts of earth science and biosciences, i.e., the interdisciplinary field of geomicrobiology. The course will focus on mutual interactions between microbial and geological processes. Topics include: introduction to microbiology, role of microorganisms on mineral weathering rates, groundwater microbiology, life in extreme environments, search for bio-signatures in geological records and meteorites and implications for life on Mars, the deep biosphere, microbial ecology in ocean floor hydrothermal vents, microbe enhanced oil recovery, and environmental bioremediation.
My Role: Co-Instructor. Lectured from week #1 to week #9. Revised slides and lecture materials. Answered questions and emails.
As a teaching assistant, I've developed my teaching skills through designing laboratory sessions, assisting with lab lectures, and addressing student questions.
Description: This course provides an overview of the 4½ billion year history of Earth and life on Earth and the means by which geologists and other scientists have determined and continue to refine this history. During the first few weeks, we will develop some basic scientific “tools”, after which we will chronologically explore major geological and biological events throughout Earth history, while continuing to add to our “toolbox” when necessary. Throughout the semester, we will combine aspects of several subdisciplines of geology, including geochemistry, sedimentology, stratigraphy, structural geology, plate tectonics, paleogeography, and paleontology to understand Earth history.
My Role: Teaching assistant. Helped to organize lab materials and the lab teaching. Graded weekly lab assignments.
Description: This course focuses on basic concepts and practices relating to Earth's chemical evolution. Students will learn about important geologic processes that control the distribution of elements on Earth. Topics include crustal genesis, mantle melting, formation of the atmosphere and oceans, and low-temperature chemical weathering.
My Role: Teaching assistant & Lab instructor. Made lab materials and handouts; Led weekly laboratory sessions for 20+ students with experiments on iron reduction of clay minerals by metal-reducing bacteria Shewanella putrefaciens; Graded homework and lab report.
Description: A survey of introductory geology with a sub-theme of human interaction with the geologic environment. Topics include flooding, earthquakes, volcanoes, water quality and availability, energy, use and abuse of natural resources and land-use planning.
My Role: Teaching assistant. Participated in classes to help with class activities. Proctored exams. Graded exams and homework.