I received my BA in Neuroscience from Drew University, graduating magna cum laude (3.73 GPA) as a member of both the Psychology Honor Society (Psi Chi) and Neuroscience Honor Society (Nu Rho Psi). After a few years working as a research tech in a biochemistry lab, I applied to graduate school having placed in the 85th and 90th percentile on the verbal and quantitative reasoning sections on the GRE (respectively). I was eventually recruited to Vanderbilt University’s Neuroscience PhD program,...
I received my BA in Neuroscience from Drew University, graduating magna cum laude (3.73 GPA) as a member of both the Psychology Honor Society (Psi Chi) and Neuroscience Honor Society (Nu Rho Psi). After a few years working as a research tech in a biochemistry lab, I applied to graduate school having placed in the 85th and 90th percentile on the verbal and quantitative reasoning sections on the GRE (respectively). I was eventually recruited to Vanderbilt University’s Neuroscience PhD program, and studied metal toxicity in the brain with the support of multiple training grant awards in toxicology and bioinformatics to fund myself and my research.
During the six years of my PhD work I had the pleasure of mentoring several students in the lab, (ranging from high school to graduate school level), teaching both hands-on molecular biology techniques and the rigors of pursuing scientific questions. I also gained more formal teaching experience in teacher’s assistant (TA) and lecturer roles in both undergraduate and graduate neuroscience courses at Vanderbilt.
My teaching philosophy is that the focus should always start with curiosity. Understanding the 'why' and generating a genuine interest and motivation to find out how it all "makes sense" should come first, so that you are rewarded with the satisfaction of understanding when you learn the material. I believe that when you are able to approach a subject with a sincere appreciation of it, everything else will flow from there.
I have real-life experience using the math and science fundamentals I learned in school on a daily basis to do my job. I am a patient and flexible teacher- I truly want students to understand, not just get good grades. I am happy to explain things as slowly or in as many different ways as necessary, because we all have different brains that require different approaches or support. I like to let students lean into strategies that already work for them, and help them build confidence in themselves.
