My goal in teaching is to spark interest in science and by engaging students actively in the subject that they are learning in class. To engage the students and prevent them from feeling removed from the lecture material, I try to use hands-on /minds-on activities and inquiry-based methods in the classroom: I encourage my students to ask questions, find answers independently, and participate in research as early in their career as possible. Active engagement in the process of science by students helps them to stay motivated and ready to tackle challenging subjects.

My experience with education has been very rewarding and steered me toward a career track where I can combine my dual interests in science and public outreach. As a SPICE Fellow, I had an incredible opportunity to become engaged in public education, specifically in the earth and physical sciences. In addition, working closely with science teachers to gain perspective on the challenges and techniques that they use every day was an extremely valuable learning experience. Raising awareness and educating local communities about the value of biodiversity is also one of my long-term professional goals.

For 5 years, I co-taught a 10-days long research design field course in South America.

In Peru:

In Colombia:

I also taught two mini field courses as conference workshops: