My overarching teaching goals are to

1) Foster an interest and excitement for marine biology;

2) Create a space conducive to diverse learners;

3) Serve as a mentor to students, inside and outside of the classroom;

4) Advance students understanding of interdisciplinary concepts in marine conservation; and

5) Enhance students scientific communication skills.

Teaching Statement

I aim to instill a lifelong interest in learning by creating a participatory classroom that enables student engagement and leadership. I aim to meet students where they are and help them to thrive, building on their diverse backgrounds. Students review the syllabus before the class begins and send topics they would like to learn that are not on the syllabus. I incorporate their suggestions and review the syllabus with the class. The syllabus becomes our agreement for expectations and responsibilities. By including students in crafting and agreeing to the terms laid out on the syllabus, students take ownership of the course and learning outcomes.

            When I designed and served as Instructor of Record for Marine Science 390 at the Duke University Marine Lab, I incorporated multiple teaching techniques and flexible assignments to reach diverse learners. For instance, I assigned scientific articles as well as videos and podcasts for audio and visual learners. Students proposed and carried out a class experiment of their choice –it just had to be relevant to the first three lectures. Students jointly wrote a scientific article on the study and communicated findings broadly using their preferred medium (e.g., videos, infographics). This approach empowered students to craft a research question, answer this question, and communicate findings. I also incorporated peer learning (e.g., think-pair-share, students giving lectures), which is a highly effective pedagogical technique, even if students learn in different manners from one another.[1],[2] By encouraging peer learning, discussion of environmental challenges may arise outside of the classroom.

[1] Johnson, D.W., Maruyama, G. Johnson, R., Nelson, D. & Skon, L. (1981). The effects of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic goal structures on achievement: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 89, 47-62.

[2] Svinicki, M., and McKeachie, W.J. (2011). McKeachie’s teaching tips: Strategies, research, and theory for college and university teachers. Thirteenth edition/

Mentorship

Mentors have played a pivotal role in widening my perspective, guiding my research, and enhancing my professional development. I aim to empower students to meet their goals by adapting to students’ preferred mentorship styles and allowing students at all levels to take ownership and responsibility for their research. To promote project ownership, I encourage students to craft goals for the semester, map tasks and sub-tasks, and lead group meetings.  

I have mentored or co-mentored 15 undergraduate and 6 Master’s students in designing and executing research and writing scientific articles. I have published with 7 mentees thus far, with more forthcoming. Mentees gain research skills in qualitative content analysis, ecotoxicology, marine biology, and/or systematic literature review. Mentees gain professional skills in time management and setting expectations that are valued across career paths. I have worked in collaboration with multiple sectors, including government, nonprofit, industry, and academia. I am happy to connect students to co-produce research or make introductions that can spur future careers.