Computational neuroscience PhD candidate

Iman W.

I hold a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Caltech and am currently pursuing a PhD in Computational Neuroscience at Princeton University. My academic training spans mathematics, programming, data science, and the natural sciences at a rigorous level, giving me a strong foundation to tutor students in these subjects from the ground up.

My teaching experience spans over a decade and a range of formats and age groups. In high school, I taught coding and robotics classes to elementary and middle schoolers in a classroom setting, which gave me early experience breaking down technical concepts for young learners. During my four years at Caltech, I volunteered weekly as a one-on-one tutor for high school students in math and science through the Caltech Y Rise program. After moving to the east coast, I continued volunteering as a tutor with Trenton UrbanPromise, this time working one-on-one with elementary schoolers on math and reading fundamentals. These experiences taught me how to adapt my communication style significantly depending on the student's age and prior knowledge, and how to build confidence in learners who find technical material intimidating.

As a graduate student at Princeton, I have served as a teaching assistant for undergraduate courses in Python programming and data science, meeting with students two to three times per week in a classroom setting and for office hours. This role required not only subject mastery but the ability to explain concepts clearly to a diverse group of learners with varying backgrounds. Across all of these experiences, I have developed a patient, student-centered approach that emphasizes genuine understanding over rote memorization.