TEACHING

Inclusivity

Access

Empowerment

My teaching philosophy is informed by my diverse research and work experiences that inspired me to bring inclusivity, access, and empowerment inside the classroom.

My teaching experience at Virginia Tech includes various courses and modes across disciplines using standard curricula and technology to evaluate student learning. I have taught and/or assisted in teaching multiple in-person and hybrid courses in the College of Engineering with the goal to equip sophomore students with technical writing strategies for both academic and professional writing for non-technical audiences, professional development preparations, and engineering workplace communication. In the English department, I taught multiple sections of online technical writing courses for the junior and senior levels from across the university, where students learn about strategies for analyzing various workplace communication situations, adapting to audiences, evaluating online content, and understanding ethical dimensions of research.

All these technical communication focused courses encouraged students to read rhetorically and design usable documents for diverse audiences and purposes. To foster personal growth, my course assignments are always scaffolded such that students can use feedback to improve their writing. In all my classes, I have worked with diverse groups that include students with different disciplinary and linguistic backgrounds, and I intentionally design activities such as collaborative writing and constructive peer review to promote inclusivity and engagement. I also rely heavily on grading rubrics, which I view as a transparent, shared contract—establishing clear expectations while empowering students to set and achieve their own academic goals.

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Courses Taught

Instructor

Department of English, Virginia Tech

ENGL 2844: Introduction to Technical and Scientific Communication (In-person)

Spring 2026

Description: This lower-level undergraduate course focuses on the foundations of technical communication and its functions in the workplace settings, particularly focusing on the ethical use of AI to brainstorm, collaborate on outlines, conduct peer reviews, and research effectively. It teaches to compose a range of academic and professional writing genres including correspondence, zone, proposal, report, and research presentation for various audience. Students learn to work both individually and collaboratively.

Role: I develop the course syllabus, schedule, and assignments with clear assessment rubrics, give lectures, hold regular office hours, evaluate students writing, and provide detailed individual feedback.

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ENGL 3764: Technical Writing (Online)

Summer 2025; Fall 2025; Spring 2026

Description: This junior to senior level course focuses on the principles and processes of effective written communication of technical information. It offers strategies for analyzing various workplace communication situations, adapting to audiences, evaluating online content, understanding ethical dimensions of research, and composing technical discourse, including organizing visual and verbal information. It particularly encourages students to use AI in order to understand its benefits and limitations in professional writing. Students practice various types of writing including instructions, procedures, proposals, reports, correspondence and presentations, both individually and collaboratively.

Role: I used the common textbook and syllabus to maintain parity with the other sections of this course taught in the department. I designed the assignments, created clear assessment rubrics, evaluated students writing, held office hours, and provided individual feedback.

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Teaching Assistant, Engineering Communication Program

Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Virginia Tech

MSE 2014: Transition to Materials Science and Engineering (In-Person)

Fall 2022, 2023; Spring 2023, 2024

Description: This sophomore to senior level course is for MSE students who either transfer to MSE from a different department or from a different university and have taken a course similar to MSE 2044 but have not completed the writing component (Review of Material). The students in this class do not take any technical sessions but instead join the MSE 2044 students in all the communication/writing activities that lead up to the final paper.

Role: I provided assistance collaborated with the technical instructor regarding the ECP requirements, and provided instruction, evaluations, and author conferences with students for the class. I also mentored two undergraduate teaching assistants each semester.

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MSE 2044: Fundamentals of Materials Engineering (communications component)

Fall 2022, 2023; Spring 2023 (In-Person)

Description: This is a sophomore entry-level course for sophomore MSE students about introductory concepts in materials science and engineering. Part of their requirement is to complete a series of communications deliverables that eventually lead to a final paper (Review of Material). The Engineering Communication Program (ECP) works with the Technical Instructor on the final assignment requirements, and the students attend a required workshop/class dedicated to communications/writing activities for the final paper.

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MSE 2884: Professional Development 1 (Hybrid)

Fall 2022

Description: This is the first of two required engineering professional development courses in Materials Science and Engineering for the sophomore level students. MSE 2884 focuses on professional development preparations, engineering workplace communications, and perspectives from industry and academe, and ethics, diversity, and inclusion topics. A big component in this class is conducting mock interviews with the students.

Role: I provided assistance by evaluating assignments and job application packages, and taking mock interviews.

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