Teaching & Mentorship

I have a passion for data science, in particular how data can aid in helping people. While my specific interests lie at the intersection of body sensations and emotional experience, I have experience with a variety of aspects of psychology. I have been a part of 7+ research projects, most of which I have seen from idea to publication. Through these projects and the opportunities I was able to take advantage of outside of research (e.g. teaching a full course of my own), I have developed critical skills that will translate nicely into an industry job.

Mentorship has always been incredibly important to me. Not only is the collaborative environment that I encourage enjoyable for me, but being able to shape a team into a functional unit has enhanced the projects that I have been a part of. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to be a project lead on a 2-year grant funded project in conjunction with a separate university, as well as created and lead 2 separate projects of my own. As a team lead for 3+ years, I have learned how to encourage input from research assistants and use their input to better the project design as a whole. Additionally, I have developed a patient approach to conflict resolution, balancing busy schedules, and a detail-oriented mindset.

I find that teaching is by far the best way to learn. I have developed critical skills in breaking down more complex topics into pieces that are digestible for those still at the beginning of their academic journey. For example, I recently was required to write an “abstract for the general audience” for a publication, and I found that the skills I learned in breaking down complex topics translated into writing this abstract. Additionally, through teaching, I have become a significantly better presenter outside of the classroom (e.g. at conferences).

My teaching style reflects a mix between an active classroom and traditional lecture style. The two most critical aspects that I focus on within my teaching style are accessibility and active learning. Accessibility is critical because we are teaching a diverse set of students each with their own individual learning needs. To achieve this, I made sure my font was large enough on every slide, I have subtitles on every video, I gave ample time to process information between slides, and brought in a variety of examples that would cover a variety of situations that may be applicable to students. Additionally, through my work with middle school special education, I was able to bring a variety of active learning experiences to my students. I found that while think-pair-share activities were useful, it was difficult to get everyone to participate and felt very repetitive. I began introducing other activities, such as the TEDTalk activity and “write down what you think individually and share” as well. Changing up the active learning activities seemed to make the class feel less repetitive and aided in overall participation. This was also reflected in their exam grades, as my average on the exams increased throughout the semester.

I have truly made the most of my graduate school experience – never saying “no” to an opportunity that would aid in becoming a better researcher. While these opportunities are by no means unique to me, the passion with which I tackle challenges that arise has allowed me to become a strong candidate for a wide variety of job opportunities.