Teaching Interests & Goals

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I am qualified to teach topics in environmental policy, writing, and field methods as well as energy, water, ornithology, ecology, and technology. I am most interested in teaching courses that prepare students for success in their upper division classes and their future careers, including advancing their writing and math skills. I would also like to build student comfortability in the lab and in the field and further their understanding of and connection with nature. I aim to incorporate building confidence and fundamental skills into every course I teach. Link to a list of course descriptions that I would like to teach or develop.

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Courses TA’d at UC Santa Cruz

 

ENVS 100/L: Ecology & Society  

Enrollment: 43 in my 2 sections (Winter 2025); 20 in my 1 section (Winter 2024)

Course description: Develops key intellectual foundations and practical tools for upper division work and future careers in the environmental field. Designed to hone critical thinking, data visualization, and advanced writing skills. 

Role & responsibilities: (1) Create lesson plans, slide decks, and activities from instructor guidelines; (2) lead section, facilitate group discussions and guide students through assignments; (3) hold office hours; (4) grade and provide feedback on assignments; and (5) host writing tutoring section (Winter 2024 only)

 

ENVS 167/L: Freshwater & Wetland Ecology 

Enrollment: 40 in lecture, 19 in lab (Fall 2024)

Course description: Combines lectures, discussions, case studies, and field trips to explore the physical and biological patterns and processes in freshwater and wetland ecosystems.

Role & responsibilities: (1) Grade assignments and assessments; (2) hold office hours; (3) hold study sessions for assignments and assessments; (4) monitor online discussion board; and (5) create and give lesson on wetland pollution and cascading effects.

 

ENVS 165: Sustainable Water Systems

Enrollment: 141 (Winter 2023); 48 in my 2 sections (Fall 2023)

Course description: An interdisciplinary introduction to the basic concepts, terms, and tools of water management. It draws from law, finance, policy, epidemiology, hydrology, geology, ecology, engineering, economics, and other disciplines. Students apply knowledge and skill base to case studies involving current water issues.

Role & responsibilities: (1) Grade and provide feedback on assignments; (2) hold office hours; (3) review instructor lecture slides; (4) create lesson plans, slide decks, activities, and discussion questions for section (Fall 2023 only); and (5) plan field trips (Winter 2023 only).

 

ENVS 80b: Climate Change Science and Solutions

Enrollment: 103 in lecture (Fall 2022)

Course description: An introduction to the physical and chemical processes of climate change, their impacts on ecosystems, and solutions focusing on ending greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change.

Role & responsibilities: (1) Grade and provide feedback on assignments; (2) take and share lecture notes with students; (3) assist with problem sets during lecture and during study sessions; and (4) host office hours.

 

CRSN 151b: Sustainability Innovation

Enrollment: 6 (Fall 2020); 4 (Winter 2020)

Course description: An experiential and project-based course teaching design-thinking and the lean launchpad methodology. Students work in teams to design technological and social innovations for sustainability and lay the foundation for building a purpose-driven startup or social venture.

Role & responsibilities: (1) Create lesson plans around instructor lecture materials; (2) create icebreaker and team building activities; (3) organize and host workshops for student ventures not enrolled in course; (4) create and distribute course and workshop advertising materials; (5) host office hours; and (6) grade and provide feedback on assignments.

 

Additional Teaching Experience

 

Earth Team - Fall 2019 - Spring 2020

Enrollment: 112 from 8 high schools; 14 students per high school team; I taught 2 teams totalling 28 students

Course description: Earth Team empowers urban youth to become lifelong environmental stewards through experiential education, skills development, and the building of community connections. Students lead programs to improve local communities’ understanding and engagement in stormwater pollution, its sources and impacts on human health. They also engage in recycling systems on campus and active creekside habitat restoration, removing litter, invasive plants and introducing native vegetation to restore the natural ecosystem functions that clean our water. Participants also learn about college and career pathways and build interpersonal and professional skills.

Role & responsibilities: (1) Design lesson plans and activities inline with grant requirements and nonprofit objectives; (2) lead team meetings and organize field trips; (3) coordinate with guest speakers and community organizations to plan events; (4) teach staff and students how to transition to online, remote learning during COVID-19; (5) read and responded to student reflections to improve my teaching and Earth Team practices; (6) create online repository of lesson plans, slide decks, and activities for future educators; (7) create Conference of the Parties climate negotiation lesson and game; (8) wrote weekly blogs summarizing activities for funders; and (9) create materials for website, fundraising, and grant reports.

 

Mentoring Experience

 

Living Solar Panels: Cactus-electricity Lab - Winter 2022 - Fall 2024

Total students: 18 (50% female-identifying; 61% students of color)

Retention: 8 students remained in the lab from the time they joined until their graduation or Fall 2024, 2 participated for their entire undergraduate career, 6 participated for 1 summer, 2 participated for 1 academic year, and 2 participated for ≤ 2 quarters.

Description: An interdisciplinary team of biology, environmental studies, and engineering students working together to explore physiological and environmental factors driving cactus voltage and create a cactus-electricity harvesting prototype.

Objectives: (1) Gain confidence in and knowledge of lab and field methodologies; (2) learn the research process by carrying out an independent project; (3) improve leadership skills by mentoring newer lab members; (4) practice communication skills through community events and poster symposiums; (5) improve interpersonal and professional skills by working in an interdisciplinary team; and (6) explore career and graduate school pathways.

Roles and responsibilities: (1) Planned lab meetings and created slide decks; (2) organized team building activities; (3) raised over $36,000 to fund lab equipment and pay students a stipend; (4) managed budget and prototyping progress; and (5) held office hours to discuss research projects and offer career guidance.

Outcomes: 

Joe was undeclared and had no research experience when he joined the lab as a freshman in Winter 2022. He found an interest in lab work and helped develop our cactus tissue pH analysis protocol and researched how temperature drives cactus voltage. He then declared a double major in biotechnology and cell & molecular biology. Joe graduated in Spring 2025 and will be a co-author on our publication (in preparation). He will begin his PhD at UC Santa Barbara studying leukemia in Fall 2025. 

 

Angelina was a lab member from Winter 2022 until her graduation in Spring 2024. She studied cactus healing properties while in the lab and is working on a paper for publication. She is now a medical school student in New Zealand.

 

Erin joined the lab as a freshman in Winter 2022 with no plant research experience. She researched if soil nitrogen content is a driver of cactus voltage and will be a co-author of our publication (in preparation). Erin completed her senior thesis and graduated in Spring 2025. She is pursuing a career in plant research and restoration.

 

Kit was a lab member from Fall 2023 until her graduation in Spring 2024. She researched Aloe vera voltage and assisted in mixing solutions used in cactus tissue analysis. She is now a PhD student in Europe.

 

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SUPERDAR - Supporting Undergraduates by Promoting Education, Research, Diversity, & Agricultural Resilience - 2022-23 & 2024-25

Total students: 2 (both female-identifying students of color)

Description: A research and mentoring fellowship program for underrepresented undergraduate students in agricultural-related fields.

Objectives: (1) Advance understanding of interdisciplinary solutions to promote sustainable agriculture, ecosystem services, and food justice at the agricultural-natural-interface, and (2) promote research and extension experiential learning for undergraduates and prepping those students to enter the agriculture workforce with exceptional skills.

Roles and responsibilities: (1) Trained students on lab and field data collection and analysis protocols including training to use research equipment; (2) mentored students through the research process from question and methodology formation through data collection and analysis; (3) mentored students through the creation of symposium posters and oral presentations; and (4) provided graduate school and career pathway guidance.

Outcomes: 

Mary analyzed cactus tissue nutritional content to explore the potential of replacing water-intensive alfalfa with this dry-farmed crop to reduce environmental costs of cattle feed. She presented her research at both the SUPERDAR Symposium and the Environmental Studies Undergraduate Poster Symposium. She graduated in Spring 2025 and is now exploring graduate programs to continue agricultural research.

 

Sahithi measured leaf chlorophyll content using a handheld chlorophyll meter and a spectrometer capturing leaf reflectance to determine if reflectance could be a useful tool for farmers to detect crop stress quickly and earlier than other methods. She presented her research at both the SUPERDAR Symposium and the Environmental Studies Undergraduate Poster Symposium. She is continuing this research for her senior thesis with the addition of machine learning and drones.

 

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SIP - Science in Partnership - Summer 2024

Total students: 4 (50% female-identifying, 75% students of color)

Description: Summer interns gain practical experience working with research mentors in data collection and analysis and effective communication of research findings. Students gain insight into the research process and what it means to be part of a research team. 

Objectives: (1) Increased critical thinking skills and confidence asking questions; (2) increase academic access by lowering barriers for historically excluded students; (3) build community and access to mentors.

Roles and responsibilities: (1) Teach social science methodologies including interview transcription, coding, and theme identification; (2) guide students through policy analysis; (3) support students through research question formation; (4) help students form conclusions; and (5) teach academic writing and oral presentation skills.

Outcomes: Students presented their findings at the SIP symposium at the end of the summer.

 

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Senior Thesis - 2024-25 academic year

Total students: 2 (50% female-identifying, 50% students of color)

Description: Students research an environmental topic of their choosing, submit a written thesis, and present at the Undergraduate Poster Symposium.

Objectives: (1) Students strengthen their research skills; (2) increase time management, written, and oral presentation skills; and (3) produce a research document.

Roles and responsibilities: (1) Supported students through the entire research process; (2) trained students to use required research equipment (e.g. ArcGIS Pro, Python, RStudio, and plant physiology measurement tools including Li-COR 6400); (3) guided students through the data collection and analysis process; and (4) provided feedback on thesis and poster.

Outcomes: 

Erin completed her thesis titled Physiology Adaptations As A Response To Water Stress In Early Development Artemisia tridentata Seedlings and presented her poster at both the Environmental Studies and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Undergraduate Poster Symposiums. She graduated in Spring 2025 and is pursuing a career in plant research and restoration.

 

Kai completed his thesis titled Analyzing The Effects Of Deforestation On Avian Habitat

Connectivity In Three California Counties Using The EcoScape Model and presented his poster at the Environmental Studies Undergraduate Poster Symposium. He graduated in Spring 2025 and is pursuing a career in development planning and conservation.