Teaching and Mentoring Experience

I have been heavily involved in undergraduate teaching. I have been a the lead instructor as well as a teaching assistant for eight different classes across three separate institutions. These teaching experiences have been varied from leading discussions in classrooms, leading dissections in laboratory settings, to leading undergraduates in the field while they learn field methods and conduct their own research projects during a field semester. Throughout my tenure at Harvard I was repeatedly(5x) recognized for a Distinction in Teaching.

Throughout my career I have repeatedly elected on opportunities that allow me to interact with students both formally in the class room, as well as informally outside the class. Throughout my PhD I was a Residential tutor who lived in an undergrad dorm, providing leadership and guidance to undergrads as they navigate their undergraduate career. During my masters I was one of two residential teaching assistants for an undergraduate field semester, where students lived at the Wrigley Marine Science Center.

Classes

• Biomechanics of Organisms (EVSC 3060), University of Virginia
  • During Fall of 2026 I was the lead instructor of Biomechanics, a course that I designed. This was a three credit course composed of 35 upper class undergraduate students, who were primarily Environmental Science students. This course focused on how we can use the lens of physics to understand the structure and function of organisms. This course begins with the basic properties of materials and how organisms are constructed and finished with how animals live in the world surrounded by fluids. The goal was for students to have an appreciation of how we can explain the diverse world around us using relatively simple principles of physics. This course was designed as a hybrid class, where Mondays were lectures, Wednesdays were exercises/labs, and Fridays were focused on biological case studies.

• Biology of Fishes (OEB 130), Harvard University
  • During Spring of 2018, 2021, and 2023, I worked as a teaching assistant for Dr. George Lauder providing an overview of fish Biology. This was a course of 25 - 60 primarily upper class undergraduate students. As a broad course we discussed fish anatomy, physiology, evolution and behavior. I gave a few course lectures and I led students in a weekly fish identification and dissection lab.
• Fundamentals of Marine Biology (OEB 60), Harvard University
  • During spring of 2022 I was a teaching fellow for Dr. Aaron Hartmann. This course is designed as an introduction to marine science for both science and non science majors. I ran one of the interactive discussion sections for this class where I managed a group of 30 students.
• Evolutionary Human Anatomy and Physiology (LS2), Harvard University
  • During Fall of 2021 I was a teaching fellow for Dr. George Lauder, Dr. Dan Leiberman, and Dr. Andrew Bieweiner. This course is designed as an introduction to anatomy and physiology and uses an evolutionary lens to compare human systems to those in other vertebrates. I ran a lab section where I was led students through various dissections as well physiological experiments.
• Fisheries Science (OSI 431), The Ocean Institute, California State University
  • During the fall of 2015 I worked as a teaching assistant for Dr. Chris Lowe’s 4 week field fisheries science class. This was during a field semester with students living at the University of Southern California’s Wrigley field station on Catalina Island. I led students in lab based dissections to undestand fish anatomy. Additionally, I extensively trained students in field based methods to learn fish ID, snorkel transect transect methodology and boat driving.
• Marine Community Ecology (OSI 421), The Ocean Institute, California State University
  • During the fall of 2015 I worked as a teaching assistant for Dr. Bengt Allen’s 4 week field Marine Ecology class. This was during a field semester with students living at the University of Southern California’s Wrigley field station on Catalina Island. I led students in both lab and field exercises, to learn about inter- and sub-tidal ecology with a focus on invertebrate and algal transects and species ID.

• Directed Research (OSI 490), The Ocean Institute, California State University
  • During the last 4 weeks of students each Catalina Semester student was in charge of conducting their own field research project which was ultimately presented as their final project. I aided students in study design, field research, statistical analysis, and results writing.
• Marine Biology (Bio 153), California State University Long Beach
  • During the fall of 2013 I worked as a teaching assistant for Dr. Gwen Goodman-Lowe, teaching 2 sections of this class. This class was designed to be an introductory class to marine biology for non scientists. I mainly led students in weekly field trips to field sites to conduct hands on experiments in different marine environments(e.g. Marsh, beach, mudflat)
• Biological Statistics (Bio 260), California State University Long Beach
  • During the Spring and Fall of 2014 I worked as a teachign assistant for Dr. Darren Johnson teaching 2 sections of this class each semester. As a introductory statistics class, I led a computer lab section, where I taught students in the implementation of the concepts learned in lecture. I taught students how to use minitab to analyze biological data(i.e. t-test, ANOVA, regression)

Workshops

• How to build a video logger, Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life
  • During Winter 2025 I developed and led a 3 day workshop. I taught researchers how to construct a submersible video camera designed for being attached to an animal from low cost commercially available components.
• Biologging from the beginning, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
  • During the Fall of 2023 I developed and led a 5 day workshop aimed at teaching how to analyze data from animal borne dataloggers. This work shop was focused on what type of data these sensors(Accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers) provide, best practices and the theory for analysis, and finally implementing these analysis directly in R to create an analytical pipeline.
• R for biologists, Harvard University
  • During the summer of 2020 I virtually led summer REU students(~10) in a weekly workshop, where I taught them an introduction to R. I taught students how to bring data into r, manipulate data, plot data, and statistically analyze data.

Mentoring

• Resident Tutor , Lowell House, Harvard University
  • From Fall 2017 through Spring 2022 I was a resident tutor at Lowell House, one of the dorms at Harvard College. In this role, I lived in the building with students as an additional resource and interacted with a wide range of students on both academic and personal matters. Within the house, I was heavily involved in the the intramural sports and Lowell Speeches Program, as well as assisting the fellowships team. After my departured, I remained involved in the Lowell community as a non resident tutor.
• Resident Tutor , Winthrop House, Harvard University
  • During the 2023-2024 academic year, I returned as a resident tutor at Winthrop House, another dorm on Harvard College. In addition to living, eating and interacting with students casually within the house, I was heavily involved in the the intramural sports program, operations of the within dorm grille, and organizing a weekly community night.