I aim to educate engineers for excellence and empathy. In today’s global and technological society, engineers must be thoroughly equipped to approach complex problems that span a wide range of disciplines. At the same time, engineers should be prepared to design with the flourishing of the marginalized in society in mind, particularly when legislation, markets, and corporate policy fail to do so. Therefore, in every interaction I have with students, my goal is to encourage them to develop not only the technical skills to tackle the challenges modern society faces, but also a sense of responsibility and care for the people whose lives may be impacted by their work. To these ends, I seek to employ several pedagogical paradigms for teaching and mentoring students, focusing on targeted practice, group work, and personalized instruction.

1. Targeted practice: Offering several opportunities of gradually increasing complexity to practice the basic mechanics of a subject before prompting higher-level connections and transfer to real-world applications (e.g. through sets of clicker questions in lectures, with time for small-group discussions).

2. Group work: Encouraging group discussion and peer teaching in lectures, office hours, and assignments, in order to improve learning outcomes and build an inclusive classroom community.

3. Personalized instruction: Investing in individual students through availability for ad-hoc meetings and conversations, receptivity to feedback on teaching methods, and even simply greeting students by name when I run into them around campus.

In an increasingly globalized and interconnected society, engagement with questions of justice, equity, and human dignity can no longer be viewed as optional for scientists and engineers. It is my conviction that the modern university has an existential responsibility to address and amplify the needs and questions that these students bring to campus, and to equip them to pursue justice and love of neighbor in every corner of society they find themselves in. For me, supporting diversity and advocating for justice in the academy involves four components: 

1. Inclusive teaching: Implementing pedagogical practices that actively encourage peer interactions (e.g. in-class discussions in randomized groups) and help students embrace the intersection of their identities with their vocation as engineers.

2. Mentorship: Understanding every student's story and building a research group that represents as wide a variety of backgrounds and life experiences as possible.

3. Outreach: Introducing students from traditionally under-represented backgrounds in science and engineering fields to career opportunities in science and technology - through programs aimed at K-12 students (e.g. Stanford seeME) and research internships for students from non-traditional educational tracks (e.g. Caltech AMP).

4. Scientific communication: Listening and speaking effectively and empathetically across polarizing societal issues such as climate change, renewable energy, and public health.

(Section title inspired by Dr. Francis Su's superb book, Mathematics for Human Flourishing)