Teaching and Mentoring

I've had great experiences as a teaching assistant, including in core and elective classes at the undergraduate and graduate level. I've gained experience in all aspects of course management, from devising and teaching weekly recitations, to interfacing with students, assessing their progress, and more. One particularly fun experience was assisting with the Effective Field Theory MOOC offered through MITx Online, where I got to peek behind the scenes at the development, administration, promotion, and maintenance of a free online course available internationally. I also enjoy giving the occasional public talk, guest lecture, or participating in panels. 

It's inspiring to meet kids who are already passionate about STEM fields. Math and science contests are an important way we as scientists can expose these students to advanced topics outside of the traditional school curriculum and to potential career paths. From the 2016-2024 school years, I volunteered with my high school's state championship winning Science Olympiad team, writing practice exams on topics ranging from astronomy to ornithology. From 2014-2018, I also served as a mentor at the WashU Math Circle, a free weekend math enrichment program for local grade schoolers. I've also had fun co-coaching teams over the years, including a local team at the 2016 Princeton Math Competition (PUMaC) and my middle school's math team long ago. 

It's not just the students who are the highest performing today who deserve great mentorship; it's critical to help all students find their footing and develop confidence, curiosity, and excitement about math and science. In high school, I held remedial teaching positions that proved formative for my mentoring approach: working at a Kumon Center (a math and reading program for grade schoolers), teaching remedial foreign language pullouts for 3rd-6th graders at a weekend religious school, and private math and science tutoring. I took to heart that every student can make strides forward, given suitable instruction, environment, and encouragement. 

Today, mentoring individual students is one of my favorite parts of my job. This includes, of course, research mentorship: introducing junior physicists to new topics, helping them learn about the research process, and guiding them through concrete projects and towards greater independence. I have also engaged in other types of mentorship, including academic mentoring programs, coaching students through the Ph.D. application process, and guiding students serving in leadership roles. 

A physics degree opens doors to a wide variety of potential careers, and it is important for students to embark upon paths that they personally find fulfilling. I have experience in both university and government laboratory settings, and have mentored students who went onto industry jobs, graduate degrees, and fellowships abroad, positioning me well to help junior members of our field explore their options.