Hello, my name is Chris and I am currently living in Indiana while I finish up my Master’s thesis at the University of Northern Colorado. I spent three years in Colorado doing snake venom research [project name: Effects of Captivity or Season on Venom Composition in Two Species of Rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox and C. v. viridis)] to count towards my Master of Science in Biology. Over the course of that time, I was awarded four research/conference grants, totaling $5275. I have given talks at two national conferences, with plans for a third one this summer. I also taught a variety of Biology labs (Herpetology, Mammalogy, Parasitology, Bio 101, and Anatomy/Physiology labs) for two of my years at UNC. I executed both labs that were pre-ordained and labs that required setup, lesson plan design, and the assembly of PowerPoints. In addition, I performed all grading and class supervision, helped students with questions, and troubleshot the lab as problems came up.
As for my undergraduate, I graduated from Ball State University with a Bachelor of Science in Zoology, Ecology, and Biochemistry. I spent two years performing epigenetics research (project name: Knocking Down USF-1 to Study Epigenetic Modifications Across the Chicken ß-globin Locus During Erythroporesis) and earned the Outstanding Senior in Biology award right before graduating.
I currently hold two permits: an educator’s permit for substitute teaching (through the Indiana Department of Education) and a nuisance wild animal control permit (through the Indiana Department of Natural Resources). The former permits me to substitute in Indiana middle/high schools, which I’ve been doing occasionally since November 2011, while the latter allows me to remove nuisance snakes from people’s property for a small fee.
My hobbies include fencing (4 years), photography (6 years), and computers (12 years). I served as the primary fencing instructor for 1 year and assistant instructor for 2 years, with my weapon of choice being the saber. I am experienced and skilled in the use of digital cameras for taking pictures and videos; three photos were included in a book my Master’s advisor published in 2009. I’ve assembled, repaired, and maintained software/hardware on Microsoft Windows computers.
I believe that in order for true learning to take place, answers must be arrived at by the student, themselves, as opposed to being simply given by the instructor. Knowledge may be power, but the ability to acquire knowledge on one’s own is even more powerful. I have committed myself to lifelong learning/teaching and encourage others to do the same. To this end, I attempt to facilitate the critical thinking and analysis of every aspect of our daily lives. After finishing my Master’s, I intend to get my PhD in Biology and continue doing snake venom research for the rest of my life.
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