Practical Teaching Experience

During my time at Duke, I sought out various opportunities to work on my teaching skills through assorted roles. I first acted as Teaching Assistant (TA) for an upper year course called CPS160: Introduction to Computational Genomics. Because the regular professor was on sabbatical, Dr. David Corcoran, a post doc, was enlisted to teach the class. The other TA and I assisted David in adapting the course for his teaching style. We was also responsible for attending class, grading assignments, and holding office hours. For many students without a computational background, the coursework presented a challenge in programming and I, personally, was happy to help. In addition, I guest-lectured on the topic of "Network Motifs" which was a side interest of mine. The first-year seminar entitled FOCUS4: Quantitative Approaches to Genome Sciences provided me with additional exposure to a university class. This time, I was the sole TA faced with a different breed of undergraduates: young, motivated students who had just started college. It was challenging to teach this specialized subject while simultaneously building on the foundations of biology. Since this course was split into sections covered by multiple professors, I had a more crucial role ensuring different lectures connected for the students and designing regular quizzes as formative assessments. Moreover, for this seminar, I taught a two-class section on "Genome Databases & Browsers" and designed the accompanying assignment. Finally, I was invited to present guest lectures to other, unrelated classes on several occasions. More information on these courses and lectures can be found below.

For three summers in a row, I worked with the Institute of Genome Sciences & Policy (IGSP) Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows as a Graduate Mentor. My responsibilities including attending the various professional development sessions and meeting regularly with my assigned fellows to check-in and discuss any issues that may have arisen for them. These students tended to be particularly bright, enthusiastic, and willing to be challenged. Working with them gave me insight into the means of inspiring students and creating a positive learning environment. All together, these experiences reinforced the idea that evaluations such as student feedback are a fundamental element for improving one's teaching.