Fall 2023 Tenure Portfolio Year 2 Skyline College

Hello! Welcome Tenure Committee! Thank you for being a part of my committee and giving me the opportunity to share my portfolio for you all. On this page you will find the links to all of the required material for my tenure portfolio as well as a rationale for why these are good and representative examples of my work.

This is my second year teaching at Skyline and this portfolio is a reflection of the work that I have done so far during my time here.

I bring eight years of teaching experience in higher education to my new role as Assistant Professor and am committed to bringing student-centered and equitable practices to my courses.

You can learn more about my teaching philosophy below and I hope you enjoy the subsequent linked materials.

Teaching Philosophy

Here is a statement of my teaching philosophy.

Examples of Work

My course syllabi for BIOL 101 and BIOL 215.

An example quiz and an example exam for BIOL 215, a course for majors.

Some example discussion prompts and an example exam for BIOL 101, a course for non-majors.

Here is an example of a key information handout for the plant unit of 215.

Here is an example of a key project using iNaturalist to teach taxonomy.

Here is an example of a worksheet on evolution.

Here is an example of a representative assignment teaching students how to use primary sources.

Rationale for inclusion in the portfolio

The work above is representative of my teaching philosophy.

In my non-majors class, I use discussion questions on canvas and in person group discussion as a way to increase engagement and to assess student learning in alternative ways to only high stakes midterms.

In my majors course, my examples demonstrate how I have moved away from assessing rote memorization towards encouraging a synthesis of the material by having short answer questions in my quizzes and midterms.

In both classes, I stress discussion, synthesis, and clear articulation of ideas via group work and writing instead of test taking skills and memorization. This practice promotes equity in the classroom since it does not reward more priviledged students.

Finally, the précis assignment and iNaturalist project assignment demonstrate my commitment to encouraging student creativity and curiousity in a structured and rigorous way that is at the same time student-led.

Professional Development activities:

This summer I attended the 3-day SEPAL Scientific Teaching Institute Professional Development workshop: Strengthening Student Motivation and Resilience through Research.

I also attended the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education as well as the Evolution 2023 Conference as a presenter.

Here is a draft of an NSF BRC BIO Grant Proposal that I will be reapplying for in Spring 2024.

A pre-print of a peer reviewed manuscript recently accepted pending minor revisions in Evolution Letters, Impact Factor = 5.0.

I have also applied for a ZTC grant to make BIOL 101 a zero textbook cost course.

Professional Service:

I am currently serving on Academic Senate at a voting member, the STEM Division Scholarship Committee, and on an adjunct professor Evaluation Committee. 7 Points.

I also led an Expanding Your Horizons Workshop, led an activity during Skyline Earth Fest, was a speaker at the uSOAR conference, mentored an intern from the Energize Colleges Program at Skyline College, mentored a student as a part of IMMERSE in STEM at Skyline, and am a participant in the Online SLOAC Academy.

Self Assessment

Here is a link to my completed mandatory self assessment form.