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STATEMENT OF TEACHING INTERESTS

 
Experience:  My teaching experiences range from lecturing to classes of 100 students to teaching
one-on-one in the field.  As a masters student at NMSU I taught laboratory sections of introductory
and upper level geology courses (mineralogy, crystallography, igneous petrology, historical geology).
Immediately following my masters program, I worked as an Instructor at the University of Mississippi
for two semesters, teaching geology and geography courses.  As a graduate student at UCLA, I have
assisted with igneous petrology, and I spent one year as a teaching fellow in a team-taught general
science course.  As part of this course, I designed and taught a seminar entitled “Geologic Hazards
and Natural Resources of Southern California”, in which the students were required to give presentations
and lead discussions on topics ranging from earthquake prediction to alternative energy resources.
I also assisted with the UCLA geology summer field camp in the West Range in eastern Nevada,
which required helping with logistics and assisting students with field mapping.  Overall, my teaching
experiences cover a wide range of venues and subjects, which has prepared me to teach in the
most challenging of settings.

Interests:  In addition to teaching introductory geology courses, I am also interested in teaching
courses in volcanology, geochemistry, igneous and metamorphic petrology, mineralogy, and isotope
geochemistry at undergraduate and graduate levels.  I also think it is important to incorporate field
experiences into courses whenever possible, and I strongly advocate for field based research projects
for undergraduate and graduate students.  I am excited about the prospect of starting research projects
with fellow faculty members as well as students, and look forward to expanding my teaching experiences.
On a community service level, I would like to work with public schools to develop outreach
programs designed to teach earth science to K-12 teachers.