I believe strongly in creating an inclusive classroom where all students have a voice. For some students this means speaking up in class, but for others it means meeting with me in private or sending e-mails if they are not comfortable talking in a large group or in person. I begin every semester with a discussion on inclusivity and the importance of recognizing that we all have visible and hidden identities. I emphasize the importance of respect and share several of my hidden identities to illustrate the point. I find that this creates an air of openness and comfort in the classroom.
I love teaching epidemiology to non-majors. This is because it was during my introductory epidemiology course that I discovered the field and my career direction shifted. Every time I teach an introductory epidemiology course, at least one student approaches me and wants to talk at length about switching majors. I currently teach Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health (PH512) which is designed for non-majors. I co-developed this course with Carrie Karvonen-Gutierrez for the residential and online (Coursera) programs. You can see the clip of our introduction to the online class below. I also teach our professional development course for our first-year doctoral students. This includes organizing the Departmental Seminar Series and the Responsible Conduct of Research and Scholarship training (EPID889). I am on sabbatical for the 2020-2021 academic year so I will not be teaching.
I currently have two doctoral students, Tung and Aliya, and another, Kate, who defended in February. I have two incoming doctoral students, Lilah and Max. I also have one continuing master’s student, Elizabeth, who is also a post-doctoral fellow. You can read about them here. I will not be accepting new master’s students for the coming academic year because I am on sabbatical.
Fall, Winter, 3 credits.
This course provides a foundation to the principles of epidemiology for applications to public health. This introductory epidemiology course is for students who are NOT pursuing an Epidemiology MPH. The course will overview the fundamental concepts of epidemiology including measures of frequency and association, study design, data collection and interpretation. This course will have a hybrid style (online & in-class) of instruction.
Fall, Winter, 1 credit.
This seminar will cover the Responsible Conduct of Research and Scholarship (RCRS) training for all incoming EPID PhD students and other individuals who are affiliated with a training grant. The seminar will also expose students to cutting-edge epidemiologic research topics through departmental talks by experts in the field as well as provide additional professional development training. RCRS is defined by National Institutes of Health as "the practice of scientific investigation [and academia] with integrity. It involves the awareness and application of established professional norms and ethical principles in the performance of all activities related to scientific research [and academia]."