Teaching Philosophy

Maximizing Engagement | Individualizing Learning

Teaching Philosophy

The field of chemical engineering ranges from the engineering of molecular interactions at an angstrom scale up to the engineering of large machinery that can fill an entire room. To engage with such a wide range of material, it is vital for students to grasp the big picture of technical innovations and drill into the details, as well as to build up from the details into the big picture and clearly communicate and problem solve at all the levels in between. My goal for student learning is to create a strong foundation of the technical aspects within our field and to build on that foundation to develop the non-technical skills that are so vital for the success of chemical & biomolecular engineers – the ability to synthesize ideas across scales; to critically consider and analyze problems; to clearly communicate ideas, roadblocks, and innovations; and to work effectively within teams. Without these non-technical skills alongside the technical know-how, success can evade even the “smartest” of students. To this end, I design my courses such that (1) student engagement is maximized in the classroom, (2) course content is contextualized for students to grasp the impact of their work, and (3) an equitable learning environment is fostered so all students have the opportunity for success.

To achieve these learning goals with my students, my approach to teaching is focused on maximizing student engagement within the classroom. While lecturing time can be necessary to communicate and explain new material, I minimize lecture time in my classes to incorporate teaching methods that involve more student participation, including non-graded “clicker” quizzes to assess learning and integrating small group problem-based learning activities. Through these activities, students are given the opportunity to actively engage with course material, rather than solely absorbing it through passive note-taking and reading. In evaluations, students have ranked these activities as slightly to extremely useful, and I have observed their utility in starting classroom discussions. For example, in the Disease, Medical Devices, and Global Health course that I taught, I include an in-class, small-group activity in which students discuss how well technologies are meeting the World Health Organization’s ASSURED criteria (Affordable, Sensitive, Specific, User-friendly, Equipment-free, and Deliverable). Using a Google doc round robin, students discuss how each criterion would be applied to a given technology in a given setting. Throughout the activity, multiple technologies/settings are discussed, highlighting how the ASSURED criteria are subjective and applied differently for various needs. The main goal of this activity is for students to acknowledge the need for technology contextualization in varied use settings. Throughout this activity, peer-to-peer student engagement is maximized, allowing students to learn from each other and engage with the material.

Throughout my courses, I ensure that course content is contextualized for students to grasp the impact of their work. It is important for chemical engineering and bioengineering students, as both scientists and engineers, to understand the impact of their work and allow students to relate the material to their personal interests and passions. In the Disease, Medical Devices, and Global Health course above, the second half is largely driven by student interests. Each student proposes an unmet need in global health and new technology advancement in the field to drive the discussion portion of the class on their assigned day. Students are empowered to lead the classroom discussion but are provided with a variety of options for leading to promote inclusivity, including by providing a summary write-up for the class, providing sample questions for small group breakouts, or facilitating and leading a class-wide discussion. This approach gives the students the opportunity to shape the course to their passions and interests and inspires more students to engage critically with issues within the engineering and global health fields. Further, during classroom discussions, I strive to highlight technologies that were created from student design groups, underscoring the impact of design solutions by undergraduate and graduate students.

I foster an equitable and inclusive learning environment, ensuring that all students can participate and have the opportunity for success. At the beginning of each term, I anonymously survey students to assess background knowledge and learning preferences. This survey, along with an emphasis on student engagement in office hours and online forums, allows me to personalize my teaching [CEM1] and course assessments to the needs of students with a diverse variety of educational backgrounds and give students the efficacy to help shape their learning environment. In evaluations, students have described me as very approachable and commented on their comfort with asking questions during my classes. One student commented, “I think that she speaks to us in a way that values our inputs and opinions and wants to know what we are interested in.” Overall, it is my goal for all students, regardless of past academic experiences, to feel valued and heard in the classroom and to have the opportunity for success in my courses.

As I move into my career as an independent researcher and faculty member, I am enthusiastic to engage in student learning through both teaching courses and research-based learning experiences for students. My past experiences teaching and mentoring students, as well as in engaging with pedagogical literature in chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, and related fields, have impressed upon me the importance of maintaining open communication with students. I look forward to continuing to grow as a teacher and educator throughout my career as I engage with students, their learning goals, and their feedback for me as an educator.

Teaching Experience


Professor of Record

Co-Professor of Record (with Dr. Rebekah Drezek)

Guest Lecturer

Technology Design Team Advisor

Global Health Technology Project Advisor – one team of undergraduate & graduate students

Global Health Technology Project Advisor – one team of undergraduate & graduate students

Global Health Technology Project Advisor – one team of undergraduate & graduate students

Undergraduate Senior Design Project Advisor – four teams of undergraduate students

Teaching Assistant

Curriculum Design

Curriculum Design Intern