Flipped classroom, ungrading, gamification (online and in-class), problem-based learning, peer teaching, culturally responsive teaching, the list goes on!

I try to employ a hands-on approach as much as possible in my classes. I’ve recently learned about Avida-ED, a free educational platform used to teach undergraduate students about the principles of evolution in an inquiry-based lab setting, and am really excited to find ways to implement it as much as possible.

Your disciplinary expertise:

Organic Chemistry, Computational Chemistry, Biocatalysis, Chemical Education

Please respond to the following questions, please limit responses to 2-5 sentences:

When did you first become interested in teaching?

My interest began in community college where I enjoyed working in study groups and helping my group members learn the material. This realization made me pursue an undergraduate teaching position at UC Berkeley called the Teacher-Scholar Program. In my first quarter of graduate school, I started my first TA assignment where I really confirmed my interest and felt this is something I really enjoy and made me pursue as many teaching opportunities I could get.

What motivates you to pursue a career in teaching at the community college level?

I attended community college and I attribute this experience to my academic success because of my professors and mentors there. I want to serve as a role model and break negative stereotypes about community colleges to show what can be achieved with community college as a starting point. The smaller classroom size and accessibility of community college makes it a great place to do this. In addition, I want to serve as a mentor to my students by guiding them to find their career goals and interests, motivating students to believe they can excel in STEM fields, and making them aware of opportunities to succeed beyond the classroom.

What pedagogical tools are you currently using or excited to learn more about?

I am currently using many evidence-based teaching practices, particularly active learning strategies, such as facilitating group work, effective questioning, think-pair-shares, and wait time. I am excited to learn more about using these techniques and others we have learned in the Project Match Summer Institute in the context of the chemistry discipline!

Where is your teaching practicum and who is your community college faculty mentor?

My teaching practicum is at East Los Angeles College (ELAC) with Dr. Armando Rivera-Figueroa.

What do you hope to gain from your participation in the Aspire2Teach Fellowship and ProjectMATCH programs?

I hope to learn more about the community of students to learn how I can best serve them. I hope to learn more about how to use effective teaching strategies in chemistry in the community college classroom. I hope to learn about what community college teaching jobs looks like and gain a network of mentors for the future!

Your disciplinary expertise: Medical Imaging, Physiology

When did you first become interested in teaching?

I have been a tutor since high school and even have experience teaching abroad (South Korea). But I realized that I wanted to teach as a profession while being a teaching assistant for genetics at UCLA.

What motivates you to pursue a career in teaching at the community college level?

I knew I wanted to teach college level. That is the stage where the students as independent adults start to take ownership of their education, and it is so exciting to play a role in that. I love the community college environment; it’s diverse, exciting, challenging. Having taken numerous community college courses in my life, I have utmost respect for the excellence in teaching that takes place at community colleges; there are many professors who have changed my life. It would be an honor for me to be one of the number.

What pedagogical tools are you currently using or excited to learn more about?

I am so intrigued by the practice of developing norms and routines in classrooms and allowing students to dictate the terms by which we build the best environment for their learning. I want to continue to learn more about having students feel more at home in the classroom and take responsibility for their own learning.

Where is your teaching practicum and who is your community college faculty mentor?

I am interning at Pierce College in Dr. Teak V Lee’s Physiology 1 lecture and lab classes (no relation ^^).

What do you hope to gain from your participation in the Aspire2Teach Fellowship and ProjectMATCH programs?

A first-hand experience of different aspects of the culture at community college I am not already familiar with, opportunities to observe talented teachers, participating in communities for studying best teaching practices, finding and collect resources to continue to improve my skillset.

Disciplinary Expertise: Virology, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Immunology, Genetics

What motivates you to pursue a career at the community college level?

I am excited to share my passion for science and learning with future generations of scientists, researchers, doctors, and policy makers.

What pedagogical tools are you currently using or excited to learn more about?

I am eager to apply tools such as concept jigsaws and reading apprenticeship theory that I have gained from attending 3CSN and Project MATCH workshops.

Where is your teaching practicum and who is your community college faculty mentor?

My Project MATCH experience is at West Los Angeles College under Professor Ka-Hung Lee.

What do you hope to gain from your participation in the Aspire2Teach Fellowship and Project MATCH programs?

I hope to learn more about how I can, as an educator, increase diversity within the sciences. I also hope to gain valuable hands-on experience teaching in the community college classroom.

I recently learned about reading apprenticeship in STEM and think aloud pairs problem solving (TAPPS) and am very excited to apply them to my teaching. I also regularly use strategies such as think-pair-share and free write in my classes.

I am currently exploring culturally responsive pedagogy and its connection to inclusive classrooms, which foster increased sense of student belonging and self-value.

What is your favorite thing about teaching?

My favorite thing about teaching is watching a student have a ‚Äúlight bulb‚Äù moment. That moment when they‚Äôve understood the practical application of a concept for the first time. There‚Äôs an immeasurable joy in being a part of guiding as well as walking alongside someone else in the process of learning and growing. I feel like I learn as much as my students when I teach. It‚Äôs mystery and discovery — and it‚Äôs very meaningful.

Tell us something else about yourself. What are some of your hobbies? 

Both my academic research and screenwriting interests center around positive portrayals of marginalized groups in popular, yet critically and scholarly dismissed film & television shows. Ask me about this and I’ll be happy to whip out a 3-minute PowerPoint on how the 1970’s TV show, “Columbo” continues to have a positive impact 49 years later!