Teaching

Defending dissertation in the time of COVID. Athletic shorts not pictured here.

Teaching Philosophy

The primary job of an educator is to prepare students for success when they leave the classroom. In the Digital Age, one of the most widely-applicable skills one can develop is the ability to critically evaluate information. Is content accurate? What are the implications if it is or is not? These are important questions, but answering them is impossible without a foundation of requisite knowledge.

Rooted in this perspective, my teaching philosophy is to foster transferable skills – specifically, critical thinking, reevaluating assumptions, and thinking broadly about implications – through inclusive and scaffolded instruction.

Courses Taught

Behavioral Neuroscience; Bryn Mawr College
Fall 2021
This lecture course introduced students to the field of behavioral neuroscience. Topics included: neuroanatomy, neuronal communication, brain development, sex behavior, homeostasis, sleep, psychopathology, and learning & memory. Instruction highlighted classic and emerging neuroscience methodologies.

The Network Neuroscience of Learning; Georgetown University
Spring 2019
This seminar course examined the network organization of the brain, and how network properties allow for the acquisition of new knowledge and behavior. Papers examined classical theories of learning, neuro-biomarkers, network science, neural activity of the resting brain, and the cognitive & neural effects of educational and training programs.