-Teaching-
As an integrative biologist who focuses on vertebrate anatomy and physiology, a career goal of mine is to teach courses that focus on the same topics. Because I am also a systematic biologist, I teach these topics under the unifying concepts of evolutionary history and phylogeny. As my research program expands, I hope to teach other courses that cover advanced topics in functional morphology and physiology and molecular evolution. I enjoy teaching in a variety of settings, including small field courses and laboratory sections as well as large lecture classes with over a hundred students.
hands-on teaching

In teaching comparative biology, I have two specific goals. The first is to have students actively explore the biological diversity of vertebrates through the unifying concepts of evolutionary history and phylogeny. The second goal is to have students develop an understanding of the scientific process. I want students to ask questions (i.e., propose hypotheses) that they can evaluate through their own observations.

As part of achieving this second goal, students learn how to perform science both in the classroom and some by gaining research experience with me through undergraduate research projects. To learn more about mentoring and undergraduate research, click here to navigate to my outreach page.

My teaching philosophy, including an outline of my instructional techniques and additional teaching goals, can be downloaded as a pdf by clicking here.

Teaching Experience
2005—2011: Fish Identification Trainer, Fisheries Monitoring and Analysis Division, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Seattle. Teaching involves training fisheries observers in the identification of marine fishes of the eastern North Pacific.

January—March 2005—2010: Teaching Assistant, Biology of Fishes, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington. Led approximately 20 upper-level undergraduates in laboratory study of the biodiversity, systematics, and morphology of fishes.

September 2007—March 2008: Predoctoral Lecturer, Biology of Fishes, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington. Led some 130 undergraduates in classroom exploration of the biodiversity, ecology, systematics, physiology, and anatomy of fishes.