Throughout my academic training, I have been engaged in teaching and mentorship across both classroom and research settings. I began teaching as an undergraduate at Penn State, where I supported multiple Biology courses with increasing independence, experiences that first sparked my interest in teaching as a way to foster students’ curiosity and confidence in science.
During my graduate training at the University of Rochester, I have taken on more advanced instructional and mentorship roles. I served as a teaching assistant for Developmental Child Psychopathology (Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2023) and Human Motivation (Spring 2021), where I led discussion sections, facilitated engagement with empirical research, delivered guest lectures, and provided individualized student support.
In Fall 2024, I taught my own undergraduate course, Psychology of Parenting, which I designed as a seminar-style, discussion-based class centered on reading and critically evaluating empirical research in developmental and family psychology.
Beyond the classroom, I have mentored undergraduate students extensively within the lab, including training research assistants, overseeing behavioral coding teams, and mentoring students on honors theses, Discover Grant projects, and conference presentations. Across these roles, I aim to create learning environments that are rigorous, engaging, and supportive, and to help students develop the skills and confidence to engage with research and scientific thinking.
Courses
PSYCH 276 | Psychology of Parenting
Adjunct Professor | Fall 2024
The University of Rochester| Department of Psychology
PSYCH 262 | Human Motivation
Graduate Teaching Assistant | Spring 2021
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Christopher Neimic
The University of Rochester| Department of Psychology
PSYCH 289 | Developmental Child Psychopathology
Graduate Teaching Assistant | Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2023
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Jennifer Aube
The University of Rochester| Department of Psychology
The learning for this course is primarily asynchronous, where students are assigned to watch pre-recorded lectures and complete assigned readings. The class of over 120 students is divided among 2 TAs and on days that students would have anticipated meeting, groups of 20 meet with their assigned TA to complete application prompts, such as specific case studies related to the content for that week.
BIOL 230W | Molecules and Cells
Primary Laboratory Teaching Assistant | Fall 2017, Spring 2018
Faculty Supervisors: Dr. Jennelle Malcos (Fall 2017), Dr. Matthew Endres (Spring 2018)
The Pennsylvania State University | Department of Biology
Each semester, I was responsible for co-teaching a weekly 3-hour lab section of about 25 students. During the lab block, students were guided through hands-on applications of genomics and cellular biology including techniques such as PCR and gel electrophoresis interpretation.
BIOL 120A | Plants, Places, and People
Teaching Assistant | Spring 2017, Spring 2018
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Glenna Malcolm
The Pennsylvania State University | Department of Biology
The breadth of this course introduced to non-science majors the widespread use of various plants and their histories such as chocolate, sugar, and cotton. Students were also guided through how to interpret peer reviewed sources, how to write scientifically, and how to implement in-text citations. My primary role was in evaluating student work and developing exam material.
BIOL 110S | Basic Concepts and Biodiversity Freshman Research Initiative
Research Supervisor | Fall 2016
Faculty Supervisors: Dr. Kim Nelson and Dr. Glenna Malcolm
The Pennsylvania State University | Department of Biology
This unique experience is rooted in Penn State’s introductory biology course, where freshman are able to opt to complete a research intensive lab versus the typical structured course lab work. During my 2nd year at Penn State, I was selected as a supervisor for the incoming class. My primary responsibilities included mentoring students in implementing the scientific method to a small scale, independent research project of his/her own– accumulating in a final end of semester presentation of his/her work.
VTC 