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Mentorship Philosophy
Mentorship Philosophy
Having lost my doctoral advisor, Scott Lilienfeld, as a graduate student only reinforced the importance of supportive, engaged, and meaningful connection in a mentor-mentee relationship, and it is one of my greatest hopes that my future mentees build this kind of relationship with me. As a mentor, I hope to challenge students to complete projects they feel inspired by and provide them with opportunities to collaborate, present, and publish on their work.
Moreover, as a first-generation Latina scientist, I understand the challenges that underrepresented students can face. Through my own experiences navigating academia, I have grown increasingly passionate about outreach, and I am committed to ensuring that students, regardless of their background, feel supported and respected. I regularly meet with students, involve students at all levels of research, assist students with poster presentations and becoming co-authors on publications, write reference letters, and provide mentorship on their graduate school applications. I strive to be as accessible, flexible, and available to my students as possible. My priority is providing a pathway for undergraduate students of all backgrounds to engage in meaningful academic research.
Teaching Philosophy
Teaching Philosophy
My goal as a teacher is to help students learn the course material and, perhaps more critically, to encourage them to think about themselves and their world in new ways. I prioritize open inquiry and a culture of respect and humility in the classroom. I approach these goals with the following three core principles.
Social Psychology | Personality | Research Methods | Psychology of Misinformation | Theories of Counseling | Psychopathology
Enhancing intellectual curiosity, commitment, and community
Enhancing intellectual curiosity, commitment, and community
Anyone can pick up a textbook, read it, and learn something new. This process, however, does not foster intellectual curiosity, commitment to learning, and a sense of community. More than anything, I want students to connect to the material and build commitment to their intellectual growth. In addition, I aspire for my students to feel a sense of purpose in the classroom and responsibility to their fellow classmates, where integrity, respect, and openness are prioritized. I bring enthusiasm to my lectures to model intellectual curiosity, and I strive to be transparent about both the strengths and limits of evidence relevant to the topic at hand. I provide ample opportunities for students to engage in active learning. I similarly build in opportunities for students to try activities before learning about a particular concept.
Building students’ sense of academic mastery and independence
Building students’ sense of academic mastery and independence
I believe that providing clear expectations alongside academic challenges is the best route for students to realize their potential. I aim to provide students with scaffolding so that they can independently approach problems, learn complex material, and think deeply and critically. It is crucial to meet students where they are while also having clear benchmarks for success. I provide opportunities for one-on-one interactions with students, build in reasonable and appropriate flexibility for deadlines, and create a welcoming environment for each student.
Fostering students’ abilities to synthesize material and hone their critical thinking skills
Fostering students’ abilities to synthesize material and hone their critical thinking skills
I want students to learn to question information with healthy skepticism and to synthesize different pieces of evidence to reach informed conclusions. It is essential to give students tools to connect ideas together so that they can apply this knowledge beyond the course and gain broadband critical thinking skills. I also implement “low stakes” assignments on a regular basis throughout the semester in all my courses so that the students can think deeply about and experiment with the material without the potential consequence of a low grade. In providing students with these opportunities to explore the material, they can synthesize the disparate concepts and be more successful on graded assignments and exams. I also implement assignments that go beyond recapitulating course material, and I ask students to apply the material in novel ways.
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