Teaching
I prioritize a hands-on approach to education and strive to cultivate a positive, welcoming environment for students. Central to this approach is a specimen- and inquiry-based mentoring philosophy, in which collections serve as both a teaching tool and a catalyst for discovery. My overarching goal is to use natural history collections to inspire curiosity, foster collaboration, and support the development of independent, critically thinking scientists. I emphasize a growth-mindset culture that empowers students to overcome challenges and persist through graduate school and into their future careers. At the same time, I believe that science is strongest when it is accessible, inclusive, and collaborative. Accordingly, I work to promote these values by fostering equitable, supportive research communities and mentoring students from diverse backgrounds.
These principles have guided my teaching for more than 13 years, during which I have taught hundreds of students in both formal and informal roles. In addition to serving as a teaching assistant during my undergraduate and graduate training, I have been an instructor of record for a scientific communication course (UNM BioBlog; 6 years) and for two graduate seminars: Advanced R (2019) and Graduate Student Professional Development (2020). The Advanced R seminar emphasized peer-led learning and collaboration as students taught one another complex analytical approaches, while the professional development course was designed to address a gap in formal career training within our department. I also prioritize leading workshops aimed to improve soft skills necessary for success in academia, such as the ‘Data to Design: Scientific graphics in ggplot2 and Adobe Illustrator’ workshop for graduate students at the University of Kentucky in March 2025. In August 2026, I plan to expand this workshop for conference attendees at the American Ornithological Society meeting.
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
University of Kentucky
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.
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.