Teaching Philosophy
When I showed up for my first day of college at the University of Arizona, I had no idea what to expect. I was a first-generation college student and hadn't received much guidance about what goes on after high school (in fact, I didn't even know what the term "first-generation" meant!). Those experiences shaped my teaching philosophy, and I work hard to make my coursework and classroom engaging, inclusive, and relevant. I have been fortunate to receive a great deal of instructor training along the way, through programs like Upward Bound and the Project for Interdisciplinary Pedagogy at the University of Washington.
Current Courses
Biology 565: Community Ecology - Duke University
Processes responsible for natural biodiversity from populations to the globe. Topics include species interactions (e.g., competition, predation, parasitism), natural and human disturbance, climate change, and implications for management and conservation. Lab section involving observation and data from large-scale manipulations, such as experimental hurricanes, fire, and herbivore exclosures. One course. 3 graduate units.
Past Courses
Engage Graduate Seminar - University of Washington, Seattle
This graduate level seminar gives students the skills and opportunity to share their research with the wider Seattle community. During this seminar, students develop a 30 minute presentation about their research which they later present to the general public. Past venues for these presentations include the University of Washington Campus, Science Cafes, and Seattle Town Hall. Students leave the course with an elevator talk, a working analogy for their research, and a formal public presentation. This class uses skills from a variety of disciplines, including improvisational arts, story-boarding and design, public speaking, and communication. For more information about this course and the Engage project, please visit engage-science.com.
BIS 397A: Food Ecology - University of Washington, Bothell
This course investigates the American food system from the ground up. Students begin by learning basic ecological principals, with an emphasis on plant ecology. from there, we explore the history of modern industrial agriculture, the commodification of food, and the environmental and social impacts of modern food systems. Students read a variety of scientific and popular writings as well as critically investigating the myriad documentaries on this subject. During the course, students also research a crop or food animal in depth, and present their research to the class. This class has a heavy emphasis on group work, critical thinking and analysis, writing, and public speaking.
BISSTS 396A: Science Communication - University of Washington, Bothell
Created specifically for undergraduate students, this class focuses on both research and the dissemination of scientific information to the general public. Students select a research topic and then write a feature article and blog post, as well as creating a public-friendly poster and presentation. This class uses improvisational arts and the skill of storytelling to help make science more accessible to a non-scientific audience. Students learn how to distill technical information, avoid jargon, develop analogies and create pleasing and engaging posters and presentations. This course has a heavy emphasis on self-directed research, class discussion, participation, and public speaking.
