Experience Summary
I completed my bachelors of science in biology from Mesa State College, after which I went on to receive my masters degree in evolutionary biology from The University of Texas at Arlington. I then pursued a Ph.D from Brigham Young University. Although I completed all my coursework and my comprehensive exams and was approximately 80% done with my dissertation, I opted to leave the program to pursue my passion of teaching. I have been teaching general biology and anatomy and physiology, as well as zoology labs, at both UVSC and SLCC ever since. For the last two years I have also been working toward licensure to teach secondary school here in Utah.
Teaching Style
My approach to teaching is an interactive one. Although I teach at the college level which tends to be more of a lecture environment, I try to bring in current events and real life examples of science in action and get a dialogue initiated with students to help them understand the relevance of science in their day to day lives. I think the Socratic method of self-discovery is one of the most effective ways to convey the process of discovery in science and the dynamic nature of the field. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing a student reach a level of understanding that they never thought possible.