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Teaching and Mentoring

Though I am broadly trained in biological and environmental sciences, much of my university-level teaching experience has taken place in an ecology classroom. Including my experience as an undergraduate teaching assistant and student, I have spent eight semesters in a General Ecology classroom. I have additionally served as an assistant instructor for a non-majors biology course, and have mentored three students in undergraduate independent study courses, one student in her master’s program research, and 20 students in the lab and field.

 

  • Associate Instructor, Biology of the Senses, Indiana University (BIOL-L104; 2019)

    • Facilitated in-class activities, graded, and consulted with students one-on-one.

  • Associate Instructor, General Ecology, Indiana University (BIOL-L473; 2013-2018)

    • ​Designed and implemented inquiry-based, semester-long project

      • Students spent the semester developing their own research proposal through a series of independent activities and group in-class activities​

    • Gave several lectures and led exam review sessions

    • Wrote and revised exam questions

    • Facilitated discussions of scientific literature and other in-class activities

    • Graded and consulted with students one-on-one

    • Coordinated day-to-day course logistics

  • Teaching Assistant, General Ecology, Augustana College (BIOL-380)​

  • Lab proctor, General Botany, Augustana College (BIOL-220; 2010)​

  • Lab proctor, Organic Chemistry, Augustana College (CHEM-311; 2009)​

Teaching philosophy

I believe that a classroom or lab experience should reflect the nature of scientific inquiry and discovery, fostering an understanding and appreciation of science as a process. Engaging with science in this way requires creativity, collaboration, technical writing, data interpretation and many other critical skills that will serve a student regardless of their career path. I center my teaching and mentoring around:

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  • Engagement – Facilitating active engagement in high levels of thinking, whether in a lecture, taking an exam, or sieving soil in the lab.

  • Diversity – Embracing the variety individuals’ strengths and experiences and including a diversity of activities, assessments, and ways of approaching science.

  • High expectations coupled with abundant support – Science is hard, but anyone can do it if challenged to meet high expectations and supported by instructors, mentors, and peers. 

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