Mentoring and Teaching Experience
Mar 2016- Oct 2018: Principal Investigator for Cardiff_Wales iGEM synthetic biology team.
Secured funding, planning, leading and teaching the scientific program for a team of undergraduate students.
http://2018.igem.org/Team:Cardiff_Wales
Mar 2011- Sept 2014: During my lecturership at the University of Liverpool I have become fully involved in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate classes. These include:
BIOL150/BIOL290 Key Skills: Weekly seminar demonstrating vocational and biological skills to first and second year undergrads
BIOL138: Genetics of Higher Organisms (1st year)
BIOL209: DNA Replication, repair and recombination (2nd Year)
BIOL402: Gene Expression and Development (3rd Year)
BIOL409: Advanced Skills in Genetics (3rd Year)- weekly seminar that develops skills needed for a career in science.
BIOL605: Research Project (3rd Year). Supervision of 20 week final year UG project where students will investigate the Plant Nuclear Pore Complex
BIOL724: Biosystems (Masters)
Previously my teaching experience has come from guest lecturing at Indiana University and as a postgraduate teaching assistant during my PhD studies at the University of Nottinham . Additionally I have had many opportunities to advise and mentor students both in the laboratory and during my extracurricular activities. During these times I have found that one of my talents is to be able to simply communicate complex scientific concepts that enable students to easily appreciate the significance of what they are learning.
On review I realize my teaching strategy is driven by the need to engender enthusiasm in the students. Conversation with present students and from recollections of my own experiences confirm that the more enthused students are then the more likely they are to have self-motivation and with it a good learning experience. The primary task for the teacher is to demonstrate their own enthusiasm both for the subject matter and for the task of finding ways to enjoyably disseminate the information.
Lecturing a large class of undergraduates is a challenging prospect especially when the subject matter is complicated. I find that it is especially important to engage the students when explaining difficult concepts, allowing for in-lecture questions and taking the time to fully explain any issues that arose. An important part of the teaching process involves listening to and adapting to the needs of the students. After soliciting student feedback I am encouraged to receive positive comments about my teaching. These included-
- '..very personal lecture, more like a conversation than a lecture'
- '..seemed enthusiastic about the material which kept my attention....asking for participation during lectures was helpful'
- 'made things entertaining and therefore interesting...could pay attention a lot easier'
- '...knowledgeable, well spoken and humorous...'
I have had many opportunities to advise and mentor students during my extracurricular activities. These include acting as the faculty advisor for the Indiana University Cycling Team and as a coach for an intramural cycling team. This sort of activity is important to me as I use my experience to council and advise students as well as getting a great deal of personal satisfaction from these interactions.
Secured funding, planning, leading and teaching the scientific program for a team of undergraduate students.
http://2018.igem.org/Team:Cardiff_Wales
Mar 2011- Sept 2014: During my lecturership at the University of Liverpool I have become fully involved in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate classes. These include:
BIOL150/BIOL290 Key Skills: Weekly seminar demonstrating vocational and biological skills to first and second year undergrads
BIOL138: Genetics of Higher Organisms (1st year)
BIOL209: DNA Replication, repair and recombination (2nd Year)
BIOL402: Gene Expression and Development (3rd Year)
BIOL409: Advanced Skills in Genetics (3rd Year)- weekly seminar that develops skills needed for a career in science.
BIOL605: Research Project (3rd Year). Supervision of 20 week final year UG project where students will investigate the Plant Nuclear Pore Complex
BIOL724: Biosystems (Masters)
Previously my teaching experience has come from guest lecturing at Indiana University and as a postgraduate teaching assistant during my PhD studies at the University of Nottinham . Additionally I have had many opportunities to advise and mentor students both in the laboratory and during my extracurricular activities. During these times I have found that one of my talents is to be able to simply communicate complex scientific concepts that enable students to easily appreciate the significance of what they are learning.
On review I realize my teaching strategy is driven by the need to engender enthusiasm in the students. Conversation with present students and from recollections of my own experiences confirm that the more enthused students are then the more likely they are to have self-motivation and with it a good learning experience. The primary task for the teacher is to demonstrate their own enthusiasm both for the subject matter and for the task of finding ways to enjoyably disseminate the information.
Lecturing a large class of undergraduates is a challenging prospect especially when the subject matter is complicated. I find that it is especially important to engage the students when explaining difficult concepts, allowing for in-lecture questions and taking the time to fully explain any issues that arose. An important part of the teaching process involves listening to and adapting to the needs of the students. After soliciting student feedback I am encouraged to receive positive comments about my teaching. These included-
- '..very personal lecture, more like a conversation than a lecture'
- '..seemed enthusiastic about the material which kept my attention....asking for participation during lectures was helpful'
- 'made things entertaining and therefore interesting...could pay attention a lot easier'
- '...knowledgeable, well spoken and humorous...'
I have had many opportunities to advise and mentor students during my extracurricular activities. These include acting as the faculty advisor for the Indiana University Cycling Team and as a coach for an intramural cycling team. This sort of activity is important to me as I use my experience to council and advise students as well as getting a great deal of personal satisfaction from these interactions.
With members of the Indiana University Cycling Team from whom I acted as Faculty Advisor when in the US.
