Hello, I'm Dr. Alex Cope. I received my Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee (Knoxville, TN) in the Genome Science and Technology program. I received my B.Sc. in math and computer science from Centre College (Danville, KY). Centre was an undergraduate institution where the professors focused on teaching, not research. As a result, I was exposed to 4 years of excellence in teaching. This inspired me to commit to excellence in both research and teaching.
As an undergraduate, I was the...
Hello, I'm Dr. Alex Cope. I received my Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee (Knoxville, TN) in the Genome Science and Technology program. I received my B.Sc. in math and computer science from Centre College (Danville, KY). Centre was an undergraduate institution where the professors focused on teaching, not research. As a result, I was exposed to 4 years of excellence in teaching. This inspired me to commit to excellence in both research and teaching.
As an undergraduate, I was the department's official tutor for courses in statistics and applied calculus. As a graduate student, I updated my graduate program's Programming for Biological Data Analysis course. As the professor had no experience in the new programming language used for the course, I gained significant teaching experience during my 2 semesters as this course's TA. I also took a course in best practices for teaching biology, which involved guest teaching a biology course. For my commitment to excellence in teaching, I was awarded an NIH-IRACDA postdoctoral fellowship while at Rutgers University. I continued to receive training in best teaching practices and gained experience while teaching at William-Paterson University.
I employ evidence-based learning strategies to help students engage with the material and improve retention. I emphasize crafting a positive learning environment. I want students to understand that being wrong is a natural part of the learning process. I like to tell my students that I am wrong 95% of the time in my job as a scientist, a natural consequence of trying to solve unsolved problems.
Given my current level of experience, I am best suited to work with high school or undergraduate students needing help with topics related to biology, math/stats, or computer science. I am happy to review college essays. If you or your child is interested in pursuing a possible research project, I have mentored 9 high school or undergraduate students, 5 of whom are authors on publications in respected research journals.
