Teaching
My Teaching Philosophy
As a biology instructor and researcher, my job is to present the students with what it means to be a biologist. Students shouldn’t feel that any biology course is just another class they have to “get through” to earn a grade and then immediately relegate the course content to the back recesses of their minds. The information students learn in biology classes shapes how they interact with the natural world. It is my job as an educator to make my coursework engaging and to continually improve upon my teaching style to optimize student learning. I do this because I am fascinated by animal behavior and want to instill this enthusiasm for biology onto my students. My goal is to get students to critically and scientifically assess the world around them.
Some things I teach and taught:
Methods in Forensic Entomology
If it were not for insects and other carrion consumers, the world would be littered with dead bodies. Not only do insects help us keep the planet clean, but they can also be important for criminal cases. Forensic Entomology is a field focused on the utility of insects in litigation. By tracking colonization and succession of insects to a corpse, scientists can approximate the location and time of the death of a body. By processing insects collected from mouse corpses, students in my class learned to identify the insects that visit a corpse throughout the stages of decomposition. They also learned to apply the principles of insect ecology, biology, physiology, and development to the ecosystem of decaying flesh. This class was energizing, edge of your seat thriller, because each week my students and I got to discover what secrets lie within the corpse.
Download SyllabusAnimal Behavior
Animal behavior profoundly impacts how an animal adapts to a changing environment, how they promote the fitness of their offspring, and how communities are shaped by the interactions of the individuals within. At Grinnell College, I teach an Animal Behavior course, with a weekly three-hour lab. When I was a student, this course inspired and shaped the type of biologist I’ve become. My passion for animal behavior helps stimulate my students to develop the critical thinking and exploratory nature a biologist must have to answer important questions related to animal behavior.
Download SyllabusInsects in Science Fiction
I designed this biology seminar at Cornell University to introduce undergraduates to entomology and scientific literacy. This course brings together entomology and the media arts to investigate the facts and fallacies of insect use in popular media. From the creature features of the 1950’s to modern day insect monsters, society has been enamored with and fearful of 6-legged creatures. Throughout the course, students learn about insect biology, explore common themes of how insects are portrayed in popular media, and how those portrayals inform our opinions on insects.
Download SyllabusIntroductory Biology
I have multiple years of experience teaching introductory biology materials to first- and second-year students. The courses covered a diverse range of topics, including a broad array of biological concepts:. invertebrate anatomy and diversity, plant and animal development, ecology, physiology, biotechnology, molecular biology, and genetics. I have also been a teaching assistant and given invited lectures in Introductory Entomology and Spider Biology. The positive feedback I received from students on year-end evaluations, as well as two Excellence in Teaching Awards from Cornell University, confirm my commitment to educating students effectively about the principles of biology.