My teaching philosophy is anchored in the belief that equity and inclusion are the bedrock of effective education, guiding me to embrace a constructivist approach that values and utilizes the diverse backgrounds of my students. By fostering an inquiry-based learning environment, I encourage students to explore and construct knowledge through their unique perspectives, turning the classroom into a dynamic space where curiosity leads to discovery. This methodology not only respects but amplifies the inherent curiosity within each student, viewing them as budding scientists eager to question, experiment, and learn. Through hands-on experiences and structured scaffolding, I aim to unlock the inner scientist in every student, enabling them to navigate the learning process with confidence and enthusiasm.
Assessment and feedback in my classroom are tools for growth, designed to be fair and constructive, reflecting my commitment to every student’s success. Witnessing the transformation of my students into confident, independent learners reaffirms the value of my pedagogical strategies, motivating continuous reflection and improvement in my teaching practices. Moving forward, I am dedicated to enhancing my ability to create an inclusive learning environment, exploring innovative teaching methods, and addressing the challenges faced by underrepresented students. My ultimate goal as an educator is to not only educate but inspire my students to become engaged, knowledgeable citizens, prepared to contribute meaningfully to the world around them.
EZO 10806 – Human & Animal Biology with Anneke Valk, Ellen Kranenbarg, and Sander Grefte. This course covers anatomy and physiology in a comparative context across vertebrates. It is a required course for Animal Sciences students, and is co-chaired by the Experimental Zoology Group and Human & Animal Physiology Group. I taught a range of topics from evolution to the detailed anatomy of brains to the physiology of muscles.
EZO 32806 – Biomimetics with Guillermo Amador. This course challenged students to develop original biomimetic designs using theoretical and practical frameworks, engineering principles, and biological phenomena. The results were impressive and fun. Students gained skills in biomimetic theory, aero/hydrodynamics, dynamic scaling, biostructures and biomaterials, additive manufacturing, CAD, and much more.
EZO 21803 – Basic Principles of Vertebrate Zoology with Anneke Valk. This is an introductory course for students taking their first deep-dive into vertebrate anatomy, physiology, evolution, and ecology. I co-taught the practical labs where we dissected pigs as well as the lecture section on muscles and biomechanics.
EZO 30806 – Functional Zoology with Florian Muijres. Specifically, I taught about biological structures from an engineering perspective. This included subjects like free-body diagrams, flexural stiffness, ecomorphology, trade-offs, and empirically determining the Young’s modulus of a material using cantilever bending.
At the University of Puget Sound, I taught Physics 202 – Research in Nuclear Reactor Physics. In this course, we built a nuclear fusion reactor. This was a student-led, project-based course. You can learn more about it at www.upsreactor.com. We gained a lot of useful skills, ranging from how to use basic hand tools to welding aluminum to designing and building a ultra low-pressure vacuum system. Students demonstrated their knowledge through blog posts of their own choice and by building functional sub-systems of the reactor. It has been extremely rewarding to follow (and lead) these students through their learning experience.
In 2018-2019, I taught 6th grade science at Orting Middle School, a rural school with a significant population of high-needs students. We covered electromagnetism, biology, and climate & weather. In that time, I obtained my public secondary science teaching certificate. This experience taught me how to engage with students on a deeper level, earn their respect, and catalyze student achievement. It was a profound learning experience for me, and through it I became a much better educator.
At the university-level, I have taught Bio 160, Bio 171, and Bio 101 multiple times. These lab-based courses are the first and second semesters of the biology major, and allowed students to learn the basics of evolution, ecology, natural history, and experimental design. As the senior instructor for this course, I worked with the lecturer and new graduate student TAs to develop a curriculum that equitably served our undergraduate students through inquiry and experimentation.
Mentorship
Over the years, I have been extremely fortunate to mentor some amazing undergraduate scholars. Mentorship is one of my favorite aspects of scientific research. Each of the following students have completed a thesis or presented at a scientific conference under my guidance:
| Name | Project |
| Emily M. | Aerodynamic consequences of wing morphing during flapping and gliding |
| Brian C. | Phylogenetics and ecomorphology of emarginate primary feathers |
| Ho Kwan T. | Phylogenetics and ecomorphology of emarginate primary feathers |
| Ben W. | Aerodynamics of bird flight |
| Tia B. | The effect of external flow on 3D orientation of a microscopic sessile suspension feeder, Vorticella convallaria Does the environmental flow speed affect the local relative abundance of Vorticella convallaria? |
| Alessandra L. | The effect of seed quantity and material density on dispersal from wet splash cup plants |
| Ella G. | Morphologic differences in bird’s nest fungi as a predictor for dispersal behavior |
| Audrey H. | The effect of peridiole shape on splash cup dispersal in bird’s nest fungi |
| Megan S. | The effect of oscillatory flow on the orientation of Vorticella convallaria |
| Olivia D. | How does the presence of water in a splash cup affect seed dispersal distance? |
| Tabo G. | The influence of substrate compliance and hardness on suction-based adhesion in cuttlefish |
| Jonatan d. H. | Biomimetic soft robots: Viscoelasticity of biological tissues and their synthetic counterparts |
| Gerline v. B. | What is the function of the stiff ‘sucker ring’ in cuttlefish suckers? |
| Rutger L. | Scaling of the adhesive stress of the Carausius morosus (Indian stick insect) |
| Benjamin K. | Scaling of the adhesive stress of the Carausius morosus (Indian stick insect) |
| Daan v. d. B. | The spatial distribution of collagen content in the European common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) lateral fins |
| Lara J. | Finite element modeling and experimental validation of biomimetic suction cups using FEBio Studio |
| Matthew W. | Characterizing the feeding flow of Vorticella convallaria via inline digital holography |
| Hannah S. | Tracking Vorticella orientation in 3D |
| Ella S. | Engineering an IEC fusion device |
| Ouyang D. | Engineering an IEC fusion device |
| Joshua W. | The effect of raindrop impact location on the dispersal distance of splash cup plant seeds |