“I think that what I have learned about communicating and educating effectively and inclusively has been significant for me in my research, leadership, and job interviews, not just in teaching.”
Current Position: Postdoctoral Researcher at Argonne National Laboratory
UW–Madison Career: PhD, Chemistry
Delta Internship Project: Redesigning Chemical Nomenclature at Madison College
What motivated you to start participating in Delta?
A huge part of why I went to grad school was a desire to teach at an undergraduate level. One reason I chose to do my graduate work at Madison was the Delta program.
What programming from Delta helped you become a more effective and evidence-based educator?
Learning about and implementing backwards design, formative assessment, and equitable discussion strategies in my teachings have been instrumental in allowing me to get evidence of student learning and continue to adapt my teaching to meet student needs.
What did you learn about inclusive teaching practices at Delta?
I learned how many common teaching practices are exclusive, things we never think about or are ignorant to. I’ve become very passionate about inclusive teaching. I learned so much through Delta and am constantly committed to learning new ways to be an effective and inclusive instructor, mentor and communicator.
How did Delta help you become a more effective mentor?
In “Research Mentor Training” I learned how to be an effective and inclusive mentor. I learned about mentor/mentee compacts, which I now use with all my students and I think has had a positive impact on our mentor/mentee relationship.
How did Delta impact your career?
I think that what I have learned about communicating and educating effectively and inclusively has been significant for me in my research, leadership, and job interviews, not just in teaching.
How did Delta help prepare you for the academic job market?
It was so helpful for me to think about these things early. I’ve watched people go through the academic application process and be pulling together their teaching portfolio on-the-fly. I’m glad to have a completed portfolio as an outcome of the certificate, one that I can continue to refine and add to as I work towards my eventual academic applications. The defense was a lovely culmination of my Delta experience. I enjoyed sharing the work I had done with all my mentors throughout Delta as well as my research mentors. The skills I’ve gained in Delta have helped me effectively communicate and build a job application, which I think was instrumental in the job interviews I did, even though they were not in a teaching field.