PhD candidate who enjoys mentoring

Justin W.

I am currently a third-year PhD candidate in Cellular and Molecular Biology at Southern Methodist University, with six years of laboratory research experience. My graduate coursework and research training have given me a strong foundation in general biology, cell biology, molecular biology, genetics, microbiology, biochemistry, and related subjects. Throughout my research career, I have also had the opportunity to mentor eight undergraduate and graduate students, providing one-on-one instruction in both biological concepts and laboratory techniques.

Although my teaching experience has primarily been in a research setting rather than a traditional classroom, mentoring has involved many of the same skills that make tutoring effective. I have explained difficult concepts at the whiteboard, taught students how to approach scientific problems, helped troubleshoot experiments, and adapted my explanations when a concept was not immediately clear. These experiences have taught me how important it is to meet students at their current level of understanding and build from there.

My goal as a tutor is to help students understand biology rather than simply memorize it. Biology becomes much easier when students can see how individual facts and processes connect to larger systems and use that understanding to reason through unfamiliar problems. As an active scientist, I can also provide real-world context for many of the concepts students encounter in class. I genuinely enjoy sharing my enthusiasm for biology and hope to help students become more confident, curious, and independent learners.