Teaching
I strive to create a hands-on, inclusive learning environment where curiosity, collaboration, and critical thinking thrive. My teaching philosophy is grounded in specimen- and inquiry-based learning, using natural history collections not only as powerful teaching tools but also as catalysts for scientific discovery. Through mentoring, I encourage students to develop independence, embrace challenges with a growth mindset, and build the confidence needed to succeed in graduate school and beyond. I also believe that science is strongest when it is accessible, collaborative, and welcoming to people from all backgrounds, and I work to foster supportive research communities that reflect these values.
Over the past 13 years, I have taught and mentored hundreds of students through university courses, workshops, field experiences, and museum outreach. As an Instructor of Record at the University of New Mexico, I taught BioBlog, a graduate-level scientific communication course, for six years, helping students develop skills in science writing, communication, and professional engagement. I also designed and taught Graduate Student Professional Development, a seminar created to address the lack of formal career training in our department by preparing students for careers both within and beyond academia.
In addition to formal classroom teaching, I regularly develop and lead workshops focused on scientific communication, data visualization, and quantitative skills. These workshops provide practical training that complements traditional coursework and help researchers communicate their science more effectively to both scientific and public audiences.
Course taught as an Undergrad TA Course taught as a Grad TA Course I developed † Instructor of Record
Courses
University of California Los Angeles
2026; EE BIOL 187 Ecology and Evolution of Color; Guest lecture (19 undergrad students)
University of Kentucky
2024; BIOL 303 Evolution; Guest lecture (20 undergrad students)
University of New Mexico
2020; BIOL 406 Global Avian Diversity and Systematics (20 undergrad students)
2020†; BIOL 502 Graduate Student Professional Development (15 grad students)
2019†; BIOL 502 Advanced R Seminar (15 grad students)
2018; BIOL 519 Phylogenetics; Guest Lab lecture (20 undergrad/grad students)
2017– 2023 †; BIOL 402/502 Biology Department BioBlog (2–8 undergrad students each semester)
2016; BIOL 124L Intro Biology for Health Sciences (66 undergrad students)
University of Idaho
2015; BIOL 102 Biology and Society (~24 undergrad students)
2013; FOR 320 Dendrology (30 undergraduate students)
2013–2014; BIOL 115 Cells and the Evolution of Life (~24 undergrad students each semester)
2012–2013; BIOL 116 Organisms and Environments (~24 undergrad students each semester)
Workshops
American Ornithological Society Conference
2026 'Data to Design: Scientific graphics in R and Adobe Illustrator/Graphite’ Upcoming day-long workshop for the AOS annual conference (40 expected participants). 3 August 2026. You can view the resources for this workshop here!
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
2026 'From Good to Great: Refining Scientific Graphics in Adobe Illustrator' (15 attendees, ranging from undergraduate students to collection staff and faculty curators). 10 April 2026.
University of California Los Angeles
2026 'From Good to Great: Refining Scientific Graphics in Adobe Illustrator' (47 UCLA graduate students, 7 postdocs, & 4 faculty members in attendance). 19 March 2026.
Cincinnati Natural History Museum
2025 Avian Specimen Preparation for Natural History Collections (4 students). June–July 2025
University of Kentucky
2025 'Data to Design': Scientific Graphics in ggplot2 and Adobe Illustrator (30 grad students). 6 March 2025.
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico
2025 Inferencia filogénetica Bayesiana con RevBayes (26 UNAM grad students). 9–11 January 2025. One of four Co-leaders. Taught in Spanish.