Human Physiology 

Courses: Motor Control (HPHY 333); Clinical Neuroscience (HPHY 436/536) 

In my courses you will: 

• Learn with and from peers. 
• Interact during exciting, participatory class meetings. 

I was invited into the Teaching Academy because: 

• I participated in a Summer Institute on Scientific Teaching. 
• I participated in the UO Summer Teaching Institute. 

In what ways are you working to make your teaching inclusive? 

I endeavor to increase students’ senses of belonging, representation, and voice. I provide students with a diverse set of tools and perspectives on the topics covered in my courses. I use a variety of evidence-based methods to engage students with different life experiences and learning styles. I learn student names, respond to e-mails quickly, solicit anonymous feedback from students, hold multiple office hours in locations convenient to students, use inclusive language, address non-binary sex and gender, and incorporate content that represents the diverse students in my classroom. I encourage students to see themselves in the careers they desire. 

What do you do in terms of professional engagement with the teaching and learning culture on campus or nationally? 

I serve on the Department of Human Physiology’s Teaching Effectiveness Committee to organize an annual Teaching Academy where we gather as a department to share and actively participate in using evidence-based teaching practices. We host an annual Teaching of Physiology Seminar where we bring nationally recognized experts on Physiology Education to campus to present. I also coordinate the peer evaluation of teaching within the Department of Human Physiology and facilitate 360-degree feedback on our teaching teams to ensure that GEs and faculty are candidly evaluating one another’s teaching throughout the delivery of courses. 

In what ways was your teaching in this course research-led—informed by research on how students learn and inflected by UO's research mission? 

My classes are designed using evidence-based practices to ensure students know what will be learned, why it is important, and how they will be assessed. My courses are highly structured and incorporate clearly stated learning objectives to provide students with a roadmap for their learning. Assignments are transparent and a variety of formative assessments are given throughout the course to provide students with feedback on their progress. Active learning is integrated into the course activities and assignments, and clinical examples are provided throughout my courses to link topics to the real-world. 

What led you to this discipline?

Shortly after completing my undergraduate degree, I worked with patients who were experiencing catatonia, a movement abnormality found in certain neurological or psychiatric disorders. Working with these patients stoked my already rapidly growing interest in the physiological mechanisms underlying how humans control our actions. I believe this topic is inherently interesting and can engage students to pursue scientific inquiry at a deep level.