My teaching interests are diverse, but all have the goal of broadening both the experiences of my students and myself. I have been teaching at some level for nearly twelve years—this includes positions as a middle and high school teacher intern, high school student tutor and teaching assistant, undergraduate tutor and supplemental instructor, and graduate student instructor. Furthermore, I have mentored undergraduate and graduate students in microbiology, microbial ecology, and basic statistics. My desire to continue teaching undergraduate and graduate students is to help these individuals to develop their own scientific and intellectual abilities by giving them a dynamic opportunity to learn how to be scientists or at least how to develop their critical thinking skills. Teaching at the college or university level has been my goal since starting my own undergraduate career. Nothing satisfies me more than making a difference in students' learning endeavors by helping them use their own unique interests and abilities to forge their own professional path.

My diverse background in general biology and environmental studies as well as the more focused course work and research I have undertaken as a graduate student and beyond qualify me to teach many courses related to the biological sciences. I get great satisfaction in teaching at various levels (e.g., courses for the major and non-major, undergraduate, and graduate level) and hope to continue in this capacity for many years.

I enjoy teaching laboratory classes that accompany lectures and/or laboratory-intensive and field-intensive courses. The application of lessons learned from readings and lectures is best accomplished with hands-on experiences in the lab and field. In fact, completion of an entire course around field work should be, in my estimation, a requirement for at least one course elective in the plan of study of any biology or environmental science major. Furthermore, I think that application of the tools of science, including the scientific method, experimental design, proper use of statistics, and scientific writing, is essential for learning to conduct defensible scientific inquiry. Even if students in the classes I teach do not wish to become scientists, having learned the tools of the trade will make them better able to solve problems in everyday life through critical evaluation and methodical thinking skills.


Return to O'Connell's home page