See embedded file below for philosophy of teaching statement, sample assignments, student reviews, projected coursework, and individual teaching consultation reviews.
[under construction]
Teaching Biography
Instructor, Quantitative Methods in Conservation Science, UC Irvine, EE 207, Fall 2018. Enrollment: 16.
Course in applied statistics and experimental design for the Masters in Conservation and Restoration Science program. Students complete a final project in coordination with other concurrent courses to analyze field data they collected.
Co-Instructor, Cli-Fi: The Science of Climate Fiction, UC Irvine, BIOSCI, Spring 2018. Co-instructed with Dr. Cascade Sorte. Enrollment: 15.
Freshman seminar with readings, discussions, writing project, and field trip about storytelling and the portrayal of climate science in popular media. Responsible for field component of course.
Instructor, Ecology and Evolution, UC Irvine, BIOSCI E106, Spring 2018. Co-instructed with Dr. Brad Hughes, taught Evolution portion of class. Enrollment: 98.
Course for undergraduate biology majors as the first in the upper-division E&E sequence. The class is an in-depth study of the mechanisms that drive evolution and ecology including: natural selection, mutation, genetic drift, speciation, extinction, life history patterns, population dynamics, ecosystem and community structure, predator-prey and host pathogen interactions, and social behavior. Lecture included electronic quizzes and in-class discussions and virtual lab exercises.
Co-instructor, Field Course in Geology and Geophysics, UChicago, GEOS 29001. WInter 2018. Co-instructed with Dr. Susan Kidwell. Enrollment: 12.
Field course with semester-long coursework on sedimentology and paleoecology in marine environments, followed by ten-day field course in the Salton Trough geologic area near Anza-Borrego State Park, CA. Co-instructed field trip component of course.
Guest Lecturer, Introduction to R and Statistics lecture, Population and Community Ecology Lab, UC Irvine, Dr. Cascade Sorte, November 2017.
Instructor, Biological Sciences Teaching Assistant Training, UChicago, BSDG 50000, Autumn 2015. Enrollment: 16
Course for graduate students to learn effective teaching strategies for responsibilities as teaching assistants, covering active learning, leading discussions, assessment techniques, course planning, teaching philosophies, course websites, and teaching careers. Assignments included taped and critiqued presentations, student-led group discussions, designing a lab activity, and others. Responsibilities included restructuring course design and major assignments, leading discussions, providing feedback on presentations and assignments, coordinating visiting speakers. Added and taught new module on teaching to diverse audiences and different learning styles.
Teaching Assistant, Evolution and Ecology, UChicago, BIOS 20197. Professors Stefano Allesina and Marcus Kronforst. Winter 2015. Enrollment: 40 in full lecture, 12 in laboratory section.
Second course in undergraduate major sequence, covering ecology theory, population models and growth, competition, predation, stability in multispecies communities, history of evolution, microevolution, sexual selection, phylogenetics, molecular evolution and quantitative genetics, adaptation, kin-selection, evo-devo, and speciation. Responsibilities included teaching laboratory section of course, leading discussions, review sessions, office hours, and grading assignments and exams. Lab activities included a wet lab on population growth in ciliates, in-silico model simulations of ecology, population genetics, and phylogenetics, and discussions about scientific literature.
Teaching Assistant, Marine Ecology, UChicago, BIOS 23289. Professor Tim Wootton, Winter 2014. Enrollment: 32
Interdisciplinary lecture course for both majors and non-majors in marine ecology covering oceanography, ecology theory, biodiversity, experimental ecology and more. Responsibilities included consultations with students on final exam papers, holding office hours and review sessions, one guest lecture, writing exam questions and grading exams.
Teaching Assistant, Ecology and Conservation, UChicago, BIOS 20196. Professors Cathy Pfister and Eric Larsen, Autumn 2013. Enrollment: 29
First course in undergraduate major sequence following introductory biology, covering nutrient cycles, population growth and dynamics, community ecology, species interactions, and more. Responsibilities included coordinating logistics for field trips (both overnight and day-trips), teaching and grading one major laboratory assignment, holding office hours, grading assignments and exams, and two review sessions.
Teaching Leadership
Founder and Coordinator, Postdoc Pedagogy Reading Group, UC Irvine. Fall 2018-present.
Graduate student representative to discussion of redesign of Pedagogical methods in Darwinian sciences class. November-December 2016.
Wrote, distributed, compiled and summarized survey of student interest and previous experience with pedagogical methods course to influence which aspects would be kept or modified. Gave perspective about content of current TA Training class and experience from previous Darwinian Pedagogy class. Communicated changes to graduate student body.
Pedagogical Training
Certificate in University Teaching, Awarded October 2017, Chicago Center for Teaching.
Entering Mentoring, April-May 2016. MyChoice E2 Mini-Course.
Six-week long course on being being a mentee and developing mentoring skills, including effective communication, aligning expectations, assessing understanding, addressing equity and inclusion, fostering independence, and promoting professional development.
Seminar on Teaching Portfolios and Workshop on Teaching Portfolios (April 11, 2016 and May 12, 2016)
In this seminar, advanced graduate students and post-doctoral fellows identify the key components of a portfolio, evaluate sample portfolios, and begin constructing their own portfolio through a series of exercises. In the Workshop on Teaching Portfolios, graduate students critically examine the ways in which their course syllabus and teaching practices impact both classroom teaching and learning. Participants present a draft of the Statement of Teaching Philosophy from his/her Teaching Portfolio for feedback from the group
Communicating Science Workshop, Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science. March 16, 2016
Workshop involving improvisation and activities to practice distilling the message, to aid in scientists communicating their research and science to audiences from varying backgrounds.
Seminar on Course Design and Workshop on Course Design (October 23, 2014 and February 29, 2016), Chicago Center for Teaching
The Seminar on Course Design examines the foundational concepts in teaching and learning and how to apply these ideas in a course plan that will support student learning and provide evidence of student learning. During the seminar, participants will create a plan for learning in the course, explaining to the other participants how this learning is linked to the final graded project, regardless of whether the course is their own or one institutionally prescribed. They will also begin to analyze their teaching goals and consider how to align those goals with student, program and/or institutional needs. In the Workshop on Course Design, graduate students critically examine the links between the course syllabus and classroom learning by drafting their own syllabi and providing peer review.
“The Introductory Course: Gateway to the Discipline”, Scott A Kreher, Dominican University and Michelle Whaley, University of Notre Dame.
Chicago Center for Teaching’s Preparing Future Faculty Conference, January 30, 2015
Presentation and workshop on designing and implementing curriculum for introductory biology courses.
“Science Teaching Careers: Jobs at liberal arts colleges and beyond”, Bill Rando
MyChoice Seminar, November 4, 2014
Information session on types of teaching careers in liberal arts colleges, community colleges, and private high schools.
Individual Teaching Consultation, lecture for Marine Ecology BIOS 23289, February 11, 2014.
Kate Malecek and Chandani Patel
Lecture for undergraduate marine ecology course was videotaped and critiqued by consultants from the University of Chicago Center for Teaching and Learning.
Approaches to Teaching in The Darwinian Sciences, EVOL 49401, Winter 2014. Professor Michael LaBarbera and Laura Merwin.
Full-quarter pedagogical methods class covering intro courses, job applications, integrating math into teaching, classroom management, labs and field work, assessment, evolution in the classroom, active learning, flipped classrooms, self-critique of teaching, and philosophy of teaching statements.
Biological Sciences Teaching Assistant Training, BSDG 50000, Autumn 2013.
Course for graduate students to learn effective teaching strategies for responsibilities as teaching assistants, covering active learning, leading discussions, assessment techniques, course planning, teaching philosophies, course websites, and teaching careers. Assignments included taped and critiqued presentations, student-led group discussions, designing a lab activity, and others.
Workshop on Teaching in the College, Center for Teaching and Learning, University of Chicago
September 25-26, 2012
Full-day pedagogical training workshop. Topics of sessions attended included an introduction to the college, authority and ethics in the classroom, active learning in the sciences, preparing for careers in science, teaching vs. learning, teaching problem solving in the sciences, utilizing library resources, and assessing effective pedagogy.
Teaching Awards
Honorable Mention, Annual Teaching Award in the Biological Sciences, 2013-2014, for Ecology and Conservation, BIOS 20196, Autumn 2013.
Nominated by students in course, awardee chosen by faculty. Award given to two students, honorable mention to five.
Employment Experience
Teacher for Revolution Prep SAT courses. January 2011-June 2011.
Taught 6-week intensive SAT prep course for high school students and provided private tutoring for SAT and SAT subject tests.
Teacher for Destination Science Summer Camp. June-August 2008, 2009.
Taught interactive science lessons to children (K-6) in a summer camp setting. Curriculum was structured over week-long full-day camps for up to 14 kids, with four separate hour-long science lessons and hands-on activities per day.