“Delta was immensely important in developing my mentoring skills, which I used in several dozen mentoring relationships over the past decade.”
Current Position: Program Coordinator at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
UW–Madison Career: PhD, Aquatic Biology/Limnology
Delta Internship Project: World of Watershed Management (WOWM): Role-playing to teach the complexity of socio-ecological systems and problems.
What motivated you to start participating in Delta?
I love teaching and mentoring, and I had a goal of teaching at a SLAC during my PhD While I’m working at the Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources now, I’ve found the professional skills I developed with Delta to be integral to the work I do.
What programming from Delta helped you become a more effective and evidence-based educator?
I currently manage programs that interface directly with the public. Learning about how to design and learn from surveys in Delta has helped me with survey design for program evaluation in my current position.
What did you learn about inclusive teaching practices at Delta?
Diversity, equity, and inclusivity have been central to the work we’re doing in developing our programs. My experience in Delta helped me learn about creating accessible programs and program materials.
How did Delta help you become a strong mentor and advisor?
Unfortunately, I don’t work with students directly anymore. However, I do a lot of teaching and research consulting. Regardless, Delta was immensely important in developing my mentoring skills, which I used in several dozen mentoring relationships over the past decade.
How did the Delta Internship impact your career?
While interviewing for a handful of SLAC positions, Delta and my teaching-as-research project helped me stand out and make it pretty far into interview processes.
How did Delta help prepare you for the job market?
Workshops on how to develop job materials were essential. I didn’t end up at an academic institution, but that practice was helpful for applying to jobs outside academia as well.
This alum is open to be contacted for informational interviews. Please email info@delta.wisc.edu if you are interested in connecting.