8th Annual Center for Teaching and Learning Graduate Student and Postdoc Recognition Reception

The Center for Teaching and Learning unfortunately was unable to host its 8th Annual Graduate Student and Postdoc Recognition Reception on April 30, 2020 due to restrictions associated with the coronavirus pandemic. However, the center is still honoring students and postdocs by distributing certificates and featuring their accomplishments on our website.

The event recognizes students and postdocs from Washington University in St. Louis and Washington University School of Medicine who participated in the Center for Teaching and Learning’s professional development programs in 2019-2020. The reception highlights participants’ commitment to pedagogical training and reflective teaching practices.

Honorees include participants in the EPIC Learning Community, an interdisciplinary program for graduate students in their first years at Washington University who are getting ready for or participating in their initial teaching experiences, as well as members of the Graduate Student Advisory Council, a group that helps the Center for Teaching and Learning develop programming for graduate students and postdocs and coordinates monthly professional development events.

Erin Gemmell, Graduate Student in Chemistry

“Serving on the Graduate Student Advisory Council was a rewarding and informative experience. Not only did I enjoy interacting with members of the Center for Teaching and Learning and advising them on their upcoming programming, but I also enjoyed learning about how other graduate students and departments facilitate learning and mentoring in their courses,” said Erin Gemmell, a graduate student in chemistry.

Other groups honored include participants in Preparation in Pedagogy, a workshop-intensive professional development program for graduate students and postdocs, and Teaching Citation, a teaching-intensive professional-development program designed to help PhD students develop teaching experience and expertise in a multidisciplinary learning community.

“Preparation in Pedagogy challenged me to consider the unique, complex factors that compose effective education and to translate workshop content into my own teaching and learning behaviors,” said Stephanie Hadley, a graduate student in occupational therapy. “Workshop programming includes distinct and relevant topics such as designing effective assessment methods, crafting a teaching philosophy statement, and facilitating challenging conversations, all of which have been integral to strengthen my educational approach within classroom, clinical, and community settings. Dialogue among students from varied disciplines allowed me to draw meaningful connections between content, lived experience, and philosophical perspectives while developing professional relationships with peers I likely would not have met beyond this programming. Further, personalized and responsive mentorship from the Center for Teaching and Learning faculty helped to refine my writing skills in preparation for job market applications and professional communication. I highly recommend participation in the center’s programming to any graduate student with goals to broaden their professional skillset and extend curiosity into diverse subject matter within higher education.”

LaShawnda Fields, Graduate Student in Social Work

“Over the course of my doctoral studies, I developed a wonderful relationship with the Center for Teaching and Learning. I had been an adjunct, but I wanted to continue to develop my institutional toolkit. I knew the center would help me get ahead of the pack when it became time to hop on the academic job market. From teaching statements, CV prep, job talk practice, et cetera, I would be confident that I could deliver a solid version of myself to potential employers,” said LaShawnda Fields, a graduate student in social work who completed the Teaching Citation program. “I organically became a very vocal champion for the center. I could not stop telling my colleagues about the richness of the content and the multiple ways I felt supported. I credit the center as one of the institutions that helped me successfully complete my degree and receive several job offers. I believe learning never ends and I’m excited to utilize my well-stocked toolkit as I begin my journey towards tenure this fall.”

The event also honored participants in various levels of the Professional Development in Teaching Program, provides formalized training in pedagogy for Washington University graduate students and postdocs from across all disciplines. A number of levels including Community Member, Associate, Innovator, Practitioner, and Scholar, provide multiple opportunities for involvement.

The introductory level, Community Member, introduces grad students and postdocs to effective research-based pedagogical strategies through participation in Center for Teaching and Learning workshops and how to apply these strategies while teaching. Other levels of the program allow grad students and postdocs to take advanced-level workshops and offer consultations with Center for Teaching and Learning staff. They also help participants write and revise a teaching philosophy statement and gain hands-on teaching experience.

Ronald Drummond, Graduate Student in Occupational Therapy

“The Center for Teaching and Learning’s Professional Development in Teaching program has prepared me with the toolbox to effectively integrate evidence-based teaching strategies in the classroom,” said Ronald Drummond, a graduate student in occupational therapy who achieved an Associate level in the program as well as completing the Teaching Citation program. “The program can benefit students who are teaching for the first time and for the seasoned veterans. In addition, it is of no extra cost to use the endless resources offered! I have strengthened my resume, teaching philosophy statement, and teaching skills for the future by diversifying my level of knowledge.”

William O’Brochta, a graduate student in political science and a member of the Graduate Student Advisory Council, achieved the highest level, Scholar, in the program by creating and implementing a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) project.

William O’Brochta, Graduate Student in Political Science

“The Center for Teaching and Learning has been an invaluable resource for helping me start my teaching career. Not only have I benefitted from mentoring and one-on-one consultations from staff, but the center’s programming, learning communities, and graduate committee provided me with an exciting and supportive space to develop new pedagogical tools and to explore teaching in different contexts and disciplines,” O’Brochta said. “I strongly recommend that graduate students with any interest in teaching start attending center events early, as they will likely find that the center encourages them to make teaching a core aspect of their graduate experience.”

The reception also honors students from the Introduction to SoTL seminar, which is designed to support graduate students and postdocs who are interested in deepening their involvement in and understanding of educational research. The seminar is offered each spring. Students typically present posters of their projects at the reception. Research topics this year ranged from the impact of partial notes in geosciences to using lean synchronization while teaching a venture capital (VC) methods class.

Congratulations, all! See below for a full list of honorees.

Graduate Student Advisory Council

Mattison Barickman, Earth and Planetary Sciences
Daniel Fister, Music
Tyler Gahrs, German Languages and Literatures
Erin Gemmell, Chemistry
Andrea Goltz, Earth and Planetary Sciences
Eugene Kim, Energy Environmental and Chemical Engineering
Shayan Monadjemi, Computer Science and Engineering
Lacy Murphy, Art History and Archaeology
William O’Brochta, Political Science
Meagan Pilar, Social Work
Jarunetr (Nadia) Sae-lim, Earth and Planetary Sciences
Siera Stoen, Physics
Oyku Zeynep Uner, Psychological and Brain Sciences

EPIC

John Allen, Computer Science and Engineering
Bobbie Brown, DBBS
Darejan Dvalishvili, Social Work
Emily Evers, Social Work
Lea Fang, Occupational Therapy
Maria Gandarilla Ocampo, Social Work
Felipe Guz Tinoco, Music
Ashley Jackson, Social Work
Patrick Matulka, Earth and Planetary Sciences
Megan Michie, MSTP
Jake Ogata Bernstein, Earth and Planetary Sciences
Melissa Ritchey, Anthropology
Helen Robinson, Social Work
Ryan Walsh, Occupational Therapy
Christopher Weatherly, Social Work
Christopher Yen, Earth and Planetary Sciences
Bowei Zhao, Mathematics and Statistics

Community Member – Professional Development in Teaching Program

Sarah Baumgarten, Anthropology
Nan-Hsu Chen, History
Maria Cimpean, DBBS
Akilah Collins-Anderson, Social Work
Kristena Cooksey, Anthropology
Lauren Crossland-Marr, Anthropology
Shoshana Deutsch, Occupational Therapy
Allison Doerpinghaus, Occupational Therapy
Ronald Drummond, Occupational Therapy
Darejan Dvalishvili, Social Work
Eric Failes, Psychological and Brain Sciences
LaShawnda Fields, Social Work
Daniel Fister, Music
Jared Fowles, Medicine
Ethan Fulwood, DBBS
Sarah Gaby, Sociology
Tyler Gahrs, Germanic Languages and Literatures
Andrea Goltz, Earth and Planetary Sciences
Reshma Gouravajhala, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Marina Gross, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Alejandro Gutierrez-Li, Economics
Stephanie Hadley, Occupational Therapy
Jordan Hale, Political Science
Mana Hayashi Tang, Anthropology
Aytakin Huseynli, Social Work
Madelyn Jackstadt, Chemistry
Jeffrey Konrad, Movement Science
Abhilasha Jumar, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Savannah Larimore, Sociology
Liza Miller, DBBS
Lacy Murphy, Art History and Archaeology
Kayla Nygaard, DBBS
William O’Brochta, Political Science
Meagan Pilar, Social Work
Feini Qu, Medicine
Laura Quinones-Camacho, Medicine
Alexander Rivas, Anthropology
Nicholas Schuster, Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology
Deborah Spivak, Art History and Archaeology
Marta Stojanovic, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Emily Streeper, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Alexandra Swanson, English
Natasha Tonge, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Guillermo Turcios, Chemistry
Niko Verdecias, Social Work
Kingsley Wabara, Business
Nathan Wagner, Mathematics and Statistics
Haochen Wang, History
James Weagley, DBBS
Daniel Weaver, Music
Richard Whalley, Occupational Therapy
Eliza Williamson, Romance Languages and Literatures
Roger Wong, Social Work

Associate – Professional Development in Teaching Program

Kristena Cooksey, Anthropology
Lauren Crossland-Marr, Anthropology
Shoshana Deutsch, Occupational Therapy
Allison Doerpinghaus, Occupational Therapy
Ronald Drummond, Occupational Therapy
Eric Failes, Psychological and Brain Sciences
LaShawnda Fields, Social Work
Jared Fowles, Medicine
Sarah Gaby, Sociology
Tyler Gahrs, Germanic Languages and Literatures
Reshma Gouravajhala, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Marina Gross, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Alejandro Gutierrez-Li, Economics
Stephanie Hadley, Occupational Therapy
Jordan Hale, Political Science
Mana Hayashi Tang, Anthropology
Aytakin Huseynli, Social Work
Mica Jones, Anthropology
Meghan McDarby, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Liza Miller, DBBS
Lacy Murphy, Art History and Archaeology
William O’Brochta, Political Science
Meagan Pilar, Social Work
Leah Schultz, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Nicholas Schuster, Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology
Jennette Shoots, DBBS
Deborah Spivak, Art History and Archaeology
Emily Streeper, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Natasha Tonge, Psychological and Brain Sciences
James Weagley, DBBS
Daniel Weaver, Music
Richard Whalley, Occupational Therapy
Eliza Williamson, Romance Languages and Literatures
Debbie Yee, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Oyku Zeynep Uner, Psychological and Brain Sciences

Teaching Citation

Lauren Crossland-Marr, Anthropology
Shoshana Deutsch, Occupational Therapy
Ronald Drummond, Occupational Therapy
Eric Failes, Psychological and Brain Sciences
LaShawnda Fields, Social Work
Erin Gemmell, Chemistry
Reshma Gouravajhala, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Mica Jones, Anthropology
William O’Brochta, Political Science
Leah Schultz, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Nicholas Schuster, Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology (PNP)
Natasha Tonge, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Richard Whalley, Occupational Therapy
Kendra White Drayton, Chemistry
Brian Wieliczka, Chemistry
Debbie Yee, Psychological and Brain Sciences

Preparation in Pedagogy (PiP)

Caitlin DeAngelo, Chemistry
Alejandro Gutierrez-Li, Economics
Stephanie Hadley, Occupational Therapy
Deborah Spivak, Art History and Archaeology
Patrizia Vecchi, Business

Practitioner Level – Professional Development in Teaching Program

William O’Brochta, Political Science

Scholar Level – Professional Development in Teaching Program

William O’Brochta, Political Science

SoTL Research Topics

Henry Chai: Assessing the Impacts of Prior Exposure in CSE 417T: Introduction to Machine Learning

Andrea Goltz: Fostering Scientific Creativity: A Module for Use in Upper-Level STEM Courses

Kaushik Mitra: The Impact of Partial Notes in Geosciences: When Less in More

Kingsley Wabara: Lean Synchronization in Teaching: Evidence from a Venture Capital (VC) Methods Class