Summary Statement
I am a field biologist specializing in the ecology and systematics of plants. I bring three years of biology teaching experience to the community college classroom. I also have two years of science teaching pedagogy training. In addition, I am capable of developing online courses. My passion is bringing active learning strategies into the biology classroom, and I look forward to a long career in science education.
Education
San Francisco State University
M.S. in Biology (Ecology and Systematics)
Major Advisor: Dr. Robert Patterson
Fall 2008-Fall 2011
GPA: 4.0
San Francisco State University
Post Baccalaureate, Botany
Fall 2005-Spring 2008
GPA: 3.58
The Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA
Bachelor of Arts, Liberal Studies
September 5, 2003
GPA: N/A; TESC utilizes faculty and student written evaluations.
Professional History
Biology Instructor, Skyline College
January 2012-current
Present lectures, activities, and field trip opportunities for the following courses: Environmental Science 100 and Biology 110 lab.
Biology Instructor, College of San Mateo
June 2011-current
Present lectures and labs for Biology 220, a general botany course for biology majors. Scheduled to teach lecture and lab for Biology 110 in Summer 2012.
Laney Community College Biology Teaching Partnership (NSF-funded)
Fall 2010
Co-plan active learning strategies for Bio 10 students every other week. Lesson plans are for a non-biology major 50-minute lecture and 3 hour laboratory.
Laboratory Instructor for Biology 240: General Bio II
Lecturers: Dr. Andrew Zink and Dr. Robert Patterson
Fall 2010, Spring 2011
Prepare lesson plans twice per week for biology major students. Present lectures and assist students with hands-on laboratory activities.
Laboratory Instructor for Biology 150: World of Plants
Lecturers: Dr. Bettina Engelbrecht and J.R. Blair, M.S.
Fall 2008, Spring 2009
Prepare a lesson plan each week for non-biology major students. Present lectures and assist students with hands-on laboratory activities.
Assistant to Dr. Patterson
Flora of the Sierra Nevada Summer Course
San Francisco State University Field Station
Summer 2008
Help students in the field and lab with plant identification.
Collector for Plant Taxonomy course
San Francisco State University
Spring 2008, Spring 2009
Collect fresh material from various plant families around the Bay Area every week. Assist students in the field and lab with plant identification.
Curator of Vascular Plant Collection
H.D. Thiers Herbarium, San Francisco State University
Fall 2006-Spring 2008
Dried plant specimen mounting, labeling, and cataloging. Shipped and received voucher specimens for academic research. Updated the collection per current family taxonomy changes, and in some cases genera changes.
Grants
California Native Plant Society Santa Clara Valley Research Scholarship 2010
Mary DeDecker Research Grant 2010
California Native Plant Society Educational Grant 2009
California Native Plant Society Conference 2009, Student Travel Grant
SFSU Department of Biology IRA Student Research Grant, 2008 and 2009
Northern California Botanists January 2008 Symposium, Student Travel Grant
Professional Memberships
California Native Plant Society
Botanical Society of America
American Society of Plant Taxonomists