Teaching

Teaching Philosophy

My goal as an instructor is to make mathematics rigorous without making it inaccessible. Students should learn how to carry out a calculation, but they should also understand why the method works, what assumptions it depends on, and how to recognize when it is useful.

I approach difficult topics by breaking abstract ideas into clear steps, connecting formal definitions to visual or physical intuition, and giving students repeated opportunities to explain their own reasoning. I want students to become comfortable asking questions, testing their understanding, and treating mistakes as part of the learning process.

Having completed much of my graduate education as a nontraditional adult student, I understand that students arrive in mathematics courses with different levels of preparation, confidence, and prior experience. This perspective has made me especially attentive to the places where students commonly become confused and to the importance of explaining the same idea in more than one way.

Above all, I want students to see mathematics as more than a collection of formulas. Mathematics is a rigorous framework for reasoning about problems, evaluating evidence, constructing models, and understanding the natural and technological world.

Teaching and Instructional Experience

Colorado School of Mines

Teaching Assistant
August 2018 – May 2022

As a graduate teaching assistant, I delivered instructional support, led tutoring sessions, answered student questions, and graded coursework for advanced undergraduate and graduate mathematics and statistics courses.

Courses included:

• MATH534/535: Mathematical Statistics and Probability
• MATH530/531: Statistical Methods
• MATH537: Multivariate Analysis
• MATH536: Advanced Statistical Modeling
• MATH225: Differential Equations

Working closely with students in tutoring environments taught me how to identify the source of a misunderstanding, explain abstract concepts through concrete examples, and adapt an explanation to a student's mathematical background.

University of Colorado Boulder

Laboratory Teaching Assistant
August 2010 – December 2010

I served as a laboratory teaching assistant for MCEN4037: Experimental Design and Data Analysis. I provided in-person technical instruction and helped students work through statistical analysis, experimental design, and laboratory assignments.

The laboratory format gave me early experience in an interactive classroom where students received brief instruction and then worked independently while asking questions. I particularly enjoyed helping students move from uncertainty toward an independent understanding of the material.

Connecting Mathematics to Applications

My research and professional experience allow me to show students how mathematical ideas are used outside the classroom. I have applied mathematics and statistics to problems involving physical systems, optimal control, remote sensing, physiological data, scientific imaging, finance, and engineering.

These experiences provide examples that can help students understand why topics such as differential equations, linear algebra, probability, optimization, and numerical methods matter. They also allow me to discuss the limitations of mathematical models, the role of assumptions, and the difference between obtaining an answer and obtaining an answer that is scientifically meaningful.

I am especially interested in supporting students who want to apply mathematics to the life sciences, earth sciences, physics, engineering, environmental research, and other interdisciplinary fields.

In professional research roles, I have mentored data scientists and explained complex mathematical and statistical concepts to researchers, engineers, and other collaborators. These experiences strengthened my ability to meet people at their current level of understanding and help them move toward greater independence.

Teaching Materials

I am currently developing a teaching portfolio that will include selected course materials, mathematical explanations, assignments, and examples of applied modeling.

Teaching Interests and Opportunities

I am interested in adjunct, lecturer, instructor, tutoring, and student-mentoring opportunities in mathematics, statistics, applied mathematics, and data science.

I am also interested in collaborating with faculty and students on interdisciplinary projects involving mathematical modeling, optimization, inverse problems, scientific computing, and quantitative research in the life sciences, earth sciences, physics, and engineering.

Please contact me to discuss a teaching opportunity, student project, or academic collaboration. Additional information about my education and professional background is available on my CV page.