Teaching & Mentoring
Transformative teaching and mentoring are fundamental components of my professional philosophy. I am a constructivist teacher who cultivates the personal experiences and self-discovery necessary for learning. My student-centered teaching approach is rooted in a growth mindset, whereby students continually build skills (e.g., critical thinking, teamwork, written and oral communication), knowledge, and ultimately the adaptive expertise necessary to effectively use what they learn in the professional arena. I believe that learning thrives when diversity (in gender, ethnicity, age, worldview, etc.) is actively embraced and integrated into curricula. I seek to build classroom cultures of inclusivity and respect while teaching students that diversity enriches all aspects of fisheries and aquatic systems – people, biota, and habitats. As a firm believer in the power of effective mentorship to enhance career development, I welcome opportunities to mentor students. Overall, I believe that teaching and mentoring are meaningful, fulfilling ways to serve my profession, enrich lives and careers, and ensure that fisheries are in good hands in the future.
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Courses Taught (Instructor of Record)
2021 Scientific Communication in Fisheries. FAS 6932. University of Florida.
Seminar in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. FAS 4933. University of Florida. (co-instructor)
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Courses Taught (Teaching Assistant)
2018 Organisms and Populations. BS 172. Michigan State University.
2017 Organisms and Populations. BS 172. Michigan State University.
Cells and Molecules. BS 171. Michigan State University.
2016 Organisms and Populations. BS 172. Michigan State University.
Teaching Modules (Academic)
2018 Principles of effective scientific communication and peer review. Global Issues in Fisheries and Wildlife. FW 481. Michigan State University.
2015 Salmonid management: case studies and applied critical thinking. Principles of Fisheries Management. WL-412. South Dakota State University.
Guest Lectures (Academic)
2018 Fisheries ecology and management. Population Analysis and Management. FW 424. Michigan State University.
2018 Peruvian anchoveta as a telecoupled fisheries systems. Global Issues in Fisheries and Wildlife. FW 481. Michigan State University.
2017 Seeing the forest for the trees: fundamentals of population ecology. Organismal and Population Biology. BS 162. Michigan State University.
2015 Disturbances: effects of flood and droughts on fisheries and aquatic ecosystems. Fish Ecology. WL 723. South Dakota State University.
Curriculum Design (Academic)
2018 Fundamentals of hunting and shooting sports. Michigan State University.
Instructor at Nature Centers
2006−2009 Instructor of environmental science courses (e.g., fisheries, wildlife, aquatic ecology, entomology). Lee and Rose Warner Nature Center, Marine on St. Croix, MN.
2007−2008 Instructor of ecology and environmental science courses. Tamarack Nature Center, White Bear Lake, MN.
Instructor for the Teaching SMART (Science, Math, and Research Technology) Program
2012 Instructor of ecology lessons for urban elementary school students. University of Minnesota.
Webinar
2018 Chemistry to conservation: using otoliths to advance fisheries management. American Fisheries Society Webinar Series. (July 17, > 200 webinar participants)
Continuing Education in Teaching
2018 Introduction to evidence-based undergraduate STEM teaching. Massive Open
Online Course (MOOC). Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL). June 11 – August 6.
2018 Graduate mentorship then and now. CIRTL workshop. June 28.
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2018 Search committees at teaching-focused institutions. Ecology Professional Development Webinar Series, Ecological Society of America. May 8.
2018 Digging deeper: a focus on research using qualitative design. CIRTL workshop. May 3.
2018 Exploring inclusive teaching within STEM disciplines: conversations among faculty, future faculty, and students. CIRTL workshop. May 2.
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