TEACHING & OUTREACH
My goal as a teacher is to have students come away with a deeper understanding not just of the topics themselves, but how they can apply them to their lives. Each time I hear a student exclaim how cool a subject is, or ask a thoughtful question, I consider that a massive success.
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I have taught introductory geology courses to non-geology majors for the last three semesters, become the head TA for the course, and received the selective Virginia Tech Geosciences Tillman Teaching Award for my efforts. I love nothing more than when these students who otherwise did not have knowledge of geology come away thinking of it as a fun and engaging subject matter that they can apply to their careers in another field.​
​I am a big advocate for public outreach, whether it was my work at the aquarium, when I would talk to large crowds about topics like animal biology, behavior, and conservation, or the activities I engage in at Virginia Tech like our fossil unwrapping party. I hope that in speaking to the public, I can inspire someone to pursue a career in the sciences, much as I once was as a very young child.
