Teaching Philosophy


My teaching philosophy starts with the idea that self-efficacy is critical for student success in class and research settings. I believe empowering students to see themselves as scientists can have a major impact on their learning. Three characteristics of scientists I strive to highlight and model for my students are the ability to: i) make mistakes and learn from them to make iterative improvements; ii) communicate scientific topics to audiences of diverse scientific and personal backgrounds; and iii) ask informed questions that challenge the current scientific consensus. These characteristics form the framework for creating an inclusive learning environment with the goal of improving student self-efficacy, learning, and future career opportunities.

I am motivated to utilize a variety of teaching methods to engage all students. My time with the NCSU Biotechnology (BIT) Program, specifically our outreach events with the North Carolina School for the Deaf, has underscored the importance of learner agency and accessibility. I have implemented Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines in the classroom and during outreach events (e.g., 1.1: Support opportunities to customize the display of information; 4.2: Optimize access to accessible materials and assistive and accessible technologies and tools) to achieve these goals. Active learning, group work, standard lectures, journal clubs, hands-on demonstrations, student presentations and laboratory experiments are all tools I have used in a classroom to improve student learning and engagement. Students come from diverse backgrounds, both personally and academically, which influence their specific interests and how they learn. In order to improve student engagement, I believe it is important for students to have the ability to influence the class based on their own decisions. Within the boundaries of the class, I do my best to allow students to make their own choices (UDL Guidelines 3.1: Connect prior knowledge to new learning; 7.1: Optimize choice and autonomy), including choosing their own gene targets for lab activities and choosing their own topics for presentations.

Watching students grow and become confident scientists, both in the classroom and the lab, has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career. I look forward to collaborating with students and instructors in innovative and inclusive environments.