Current Employer:
University of Minnesota
Job Title:
Teaching Associate Professor
Home Town:
Greensboro, NC
Current Location:
Duluth, MN
Short Description of your Graduate School Research:
I studied enzymes in the ubiquitin-proteosome system and their role in the plant Arabidopsis thaliana.
Faculty Advisor:
Richard D. Vierstra
CMB Degree Received in:
2000
What and where is your current position?
I am a Teaching Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota- Duluth. My job is primarily to teach, but I also advise students and perform academic service. I have taught 10 different courses in my 17 years at UMD, including General Biology II, Genetics, Nutrition & Metabolism, non-majors biology, a graduate course on science teaching, and a study abroad course focused on coral reef ecology.
Describe your career path from graduate school to your current position.
Following completion of my PhD in 2000, I completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the Biochemistry Department at UW-Madison in Dr. Alan Attie’s lab. I then worked as an Assistant Scientist in the UW Medical School in Dr. Shigeki Miyamoto’s lab. I decided I wanted to get back to teaching, so I completed my K-12 teaching certificate at Edgewood College. I taught biology at Edgewood High School and Biotechnology at Edgewood College before moving to Duluth, MN for my current faculty position at UMD.
How did your experience with CMB shape your career?
I was exposed to some excellent educators while in the CMB program. I was a Teaching Assistant in the Biocore Program where I worked with Ann Burgess, Bill Sugden, and Millard Sussman. I was able to enroll in some excellent courses in science pedagogy instructed some outstanding science educators, including Jean Heitz, Marion Meyer, and Jo Handelsman. I experienced great instruction in my classes taught by CMB faculty including Gary Roberts, Wayne Becker, Ann Palmenberg, and Richard Amasino. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, these experiences had a huge impact in my development as a science educator.
What made you decide to pursue a PhD with CMB at UW-Madison?
I was impressed by the flexibility of the program and the excellence of the faculty. When I visited, the current CMB students went out of their way to make me feel welcome. They all seemed like they generally wanted to be in this program.
Describe a “day in the life” of your current job.
Each semester I teach ~ 2 courses, at least one of which (General Biology 2) is a large enrollment class. I spend significant time daily preparing assignments, updating my course management system, and corresponding with students and teaching assistants. I spend time getting ready to teach by reviewing material, preparing active learning components of class, and adding timely “science in the news” components to keep class fresh and relevant. I also spend time working with colleagues to develop and refine curriculum and meeting with students to discuss academic and career plans.
What is your best piece of advice for current graduate students preparing for their careers?
Make yourself different from everyone else. My research background in diverse fields has allowed me to teach several different classes and make my classes more integrated and interdisciplinary.
What advice would you give to current students who are specifically interested in a career path similar to yours?
Get experience teaching beyond being a Teaching Assistant. Any opportunity to teach part or all of a course and gain experience is important in obtaining a teaching position. Teaching a course as an adjunct faculty or sabbatical replacement provides evidence of being able to teach on your own. Get experienced faculty to evaluate your teaching, both to provide suggestions and to submit letters of support. Take advantage of professional opportunities to develop teaching skills and document these.