Teaching, Mentorship & Outreach
Mentorship is my passion. I strive to cultivate curiosity in STEM, build technical mastery and independence, and help students confidently translate theory to practice. I especially value mentorship that occurs outside the classroom, either in the research lab or the broader community, because unstructured learning and sustained interactions allow for deeper, more personalized impact on their academic and professional development.
I have been fortunate to work directly with 36 trainees in the laboratory, many who have secured competitive scholarships, fellowships, and graduate/medical school positions. My commitment to mentorship extends beyond the university. I have worked with local schools and community organizations to introduce students of all ages, from grade school to graduate school, to science and engineering through hands-on classroom activities, science fairs, research mentoring, and academic conferences. These experiences help students see STEM as accessible and relevant and provide early exposure to potential academic and career paths. I have also engaged with community and patient-focused organizations to ensure that research outputs are informed by real-world needs and communicated in ways that are understandable and useful.
Diversity, Learning & Innovation
I believe that diversity in backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives strengthens learning, research, and innovation. In the classroom, diversity enriches education by exposing students to different ways of thinking and problem solving. As a Communications Instructor in the Engineering Communications Program at the University of Toronto, I examined how integrating disciplinary expertise into the engineering communications curriculum can bridge gaps between communication pedagogy and engineering practice (link). This work reinforced my view that inclusive teaching approaches better support students with varied technical backgrounds and learning experiences. Beyond the classroom, diversity in the laboratory and in engineering practice is essential for developing scientific and engineering solutions that are innovative, relevant, and responsive to real-world needs. Incorporating diverse perspectives helps ensure that these solutions are accessible and useful to people from a wide range of backgrounds.