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Ph.D. Candidate - Department of Biology
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Biomechanics | Behavior | Form and Function
Teaching and Outreach
The motto “Science for All” dictates how I approach teaching, mentoring, and outreach. I believe it is important to make science approachable, fun, and interesting for everyone in and out of the classroom.
Teaching
I have taught and guest lectured in General Biology, Human Anatomy lab, Comparative Animal Physiology lab, and Biomechanics lab, and have mentored high school and undergraduate students. I have also participated as a mentor in the WinSPIRE program.
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My experience has taught me that kindness, understanding, and openness are key for learning science, which is not always a straightforward process. I like to introduce concepts and questions that are not part of a grade to help students build the skills to ask and answer questions on their own. At the same time, my excitement for the material has helped students stay engage with it.
Engaging the community
My goal as an educator is to make science accessible for everyone, specially allowing the general public to experience, enjoy, and wonder about the animals around them and about the function of their own bodies.
Latine Researchers in STEM
I brought an interactive exhibit on muscle function and how equivalent muscles work in different ways between animal species, as part of a group of Latine UNC students and researchers that presented their work for local elementary school students and their parents.
STEMville Science Spectacular
I have participated for three years as an exhibitor leading interactive activities related to muscle function and bird flight biomechanics to local students from grades 4 -7 from underserved and underrepresented groups in STEM.
Other Educational Outreach activities
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Presenter, Interactive exhibit on hawkmoths, UNC Science Expo (2022, 2023)
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Judge, Elementary Earth & Environmental Sciences NC Region 3A Science and Engineering Fair (2022, Virtual)
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Presenter, Interactive exhibit on hawkmoths, BugFest, NC Museum of Natural Science (2022)​
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Presenter, Interactive exhibit on the spinal cord, Brain Days, Kentucky Science Center (2017, 2018)
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Judge, duPont Manual High School Science Fair, Louisville (2016)