- Adjunct Faculty, Arapahoe Community College
- Adjunct Faculty, Colorado Community College Online
- Introduction to Biology (BIO 111)
- Biology for Non-majors (BIO 105)
Providing supportive and comprehensive instruction for students just beginning their secondary education is vitally important. It is in these early courses that students often find themselves struggling which ultimately leads them to abandon their pursuit of a science degree. For many students, the sciences can appear daunting and often they have had previous educational experiences that may deter them from continuing their science education after high school. My belief has always been to try to give students more active involvement as they tackle biology concepts. I feel that if students can find a way to connect to the material beyond just reading about it, they will not just memorize facts for a test but truly grasp a topic. It is impossible to paint all students with the same brush. Their needs vary and as an instructor, I feel it is important to maintain active communication with students.
As a Ph.D. student, am still involved in biological research and one of my concerns for the science community is the lack of diversity in the backgrounds of researchers. Community colleges are an excellent opportunity to engage students who are not in the pipeline from high school to four-year colleges, then to graduate school. These students are the future of scientific research and will be able to bring a greater diversity of experiences and insight to the scientific community in the future. I truly believe that it is the responsibility of researchers further in their careers to guide and encourage those just beginning there’s.
