As much as I enjoy scientific research, I am also passionate about teaching both in and out of the classroom. My teaching philosophy is to prioritize building curiosity, developing skills, and fostering scientific thinking. I focus on big-picture concepts, transferrable skills, and thinking through examples, rather than on recalling any given piece of information, viewing much of the factual content as a means to these ends and as an opportunity to engage student interest.

I am currently an NIH IRACDA postdoctoral fellow with the Emory FIRST program, and as part of the fellowship, I am teaching Animal Behavior and Behavioral Endocrinology at Spelman College. I have also taught human evolution as instructor of record, as well as multiple classes as a teaching assistant (see CV for details). If you are teaching a similar course and are interested in discussing or sharing materials, please be in touch!

I also strive to bring science into K-12 classrooms and to the public, in order to increase accessibility to science and scientists. Countless polls have shown that the majority of Americans have never met a scientist and many can’t even name a living scientist. Furthermore, as early as elementary school, students overwhelmingly picture scientists as white men. It is important to me to do science outreach for a variety of reasons including 1) getting students excited about science and helping them realize that science is a career option, 2) developing familiarity with the scientific method, 3) broadening views on what scientists look like, and 4) building connections in local communities, including students, parents, and teachers. Please be in touch with requests for community engagement; I'll do my best to say yes or put you in contact with another scientist.

I am excited to pursue a career as a scholar-educator and will be on the job market soon!