Teaching

Teaching Philosophy

Much of my identity as a bioengineer, a researcher, and an educator is shaped by the myriad of excellent teachers I’ve had in my life. I would not be an academic in STEM without my faithful teachers whom allowed me to stay in the labs after hours, whom ordered new chemicals for me to explore my ideas, and whom answered my numerous questions which were often loosely related to class. My goal as a teacher is to extend this passion for learning to my students and help them discover their own identity. In my classroom I aim to (i) inspire my students to learn and chase after their interests, (ii) teach strong fundamentals which can be applied to any career path, and (iii) teach how to utilize the plethora of resources available to tackle real world problems. In addition to these goals, I am very passionate about engineering education research and increasing the representation of minorities in STEM.

Teaching Awards

I received the UML Teaching Excellence Award from the Department of Biomedical Engineering in 2019. At the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, I have been listed in the U of I list of Teachers Ranked as Excellent for each semester taught with an outstanding ranking. I have also received the UIUC Bioengineering Department Teaching Excellence Fellowship and several others for my teaching experience and engineering education research. For full list of awards and award descriptions, visit the awards page.

Current Courses

  • FA 2020FA 2018

    BMEN 1070: Introduction to Biomedical Engineering

    Instructor (UML). Course description: This course aims to introduce students to the field of Biomedical Engineering and to help students gain he sills necessary to succeed in the undergraduate degree program. The course will introduce the specialties within BME, discuss career options, and give a sample of all major considerations that go into the development of a biomedical device including how to conduct a literature search, the engineering design process, prototyping, and federal regulation considerations.

  • FA 2020FA 2019

    BMEN 4850: Applied Project Management and Mentorship in BME

    Instructor (UML). Course description: This course will cover successful strategies in project management and mentorship. Students in the course will serve as project managers (PM) and mentors to the students enrolled in BMEN.1070: Introduction to Biomedical Engineering. PMs will facilitate one to two groups in the completion of their semester long project in BMEM.1070. They will set deadlines, assess work, manage the project, and participate in weekly professional development meetings. We will discuss how to run successful meetings, to set achievable goals, and to optimize time and budget constraints in order to ensure successful completion of a BME related project. We will also explore career options as a project manager, learn about their job responsibilities, and learn essential tools commonly used by PMs in industry.

  • SP 2021SP 2021

    BMEN 2205L: Bioinstrumentation Lab

    Instructor (UML). Course description: This course is the laboratory section associate with Bioinstrumentation (BMEN.2200). The lab will learn how to build basic circuits to collect physiologically-relevant data and analyze the data using concepts from signal processing.

  • SP 2021SP 2019

    BMEN 3025L: Biomedical Engineering Lab II

    Instructor (UML). Course description: This course will be a laboratory section associated with BMEN.3020 Biomedical Engineering II.

  • SP 2020SP 2019

    BMEN 3020: Biomedical Engineering II

    Instructor (UML). Course description: This course is the second of a two semester sequence that form a survey of different topic areas within biomedical engineering. The course will emphasize a multidisciplinary approach to current topics in the range of academic disciplines in biomedical engineering.

  • SP 2020SP 2019

    BMEN 4110: Tissue Engineering

    Instructor (UML). Course description: Tissue engineering utilizes engineering materials, cells, and other biochemical factors to develop and manipulate cells, tissues, or organs which can replace and/or support biological functions. In this course, we will explore the principles underlying tissue structure-function relationships; how to rationally alter, restore, or improve cellular environments; and clinical implementations.

  • SP 2020FA 2018

    BMEN 4070: Biomaterials

    Instructor (UML). Course description: This course will provide an introduction to materials used in biomedical applications. It will provide students with and understanding of the fundamental principles and language associated with current biomaterials research and to understand the issues associated with medical applications of these materials. The goal is to enable students in the course to read the biomaterials literature with critical understanding. The course will introduce principles of materials science and cell biology underlying the design of medical implants, artificial organs, and matrices for tissue engineering and covers surface chemistry and physics of selected biomaterials, surface characterization methodology, acute and chronic response to implanted biomaterials, and molecular and cellular interactions.

Past Courses

  • SP 2018SP 2016

    BIOE 202: Cell and Tissue Engineering Lab

    Head Teaching Assistant (UIUC). Course description: Principles of cell biology inherent in tissue engineering design. Lab experience in safely and skillfully manipulating cells of the four tissue types and performing various quantitative analyses on products produced by cells that have differentiated.

  • SP 2017SP 2016

    ENG 198: Writing in Engineering Fields

    Co-Instructor (UIUC). Course description: Introducing students to reading and writing in common Engineering genres/fields and equipping students with communication skills for conducting research. This course meets the Composition 1 requirement.

  • PresentSU 2016

    ENG 198: Illinois Engineering First-Year Experience: Research

    Co-Instructor (UIUC). Course description: Are you interested in learning more about research in engineering at Illinois? In this course you will develop a research proposal based on your own interests, and learn how to communicate about it effectively. You will become familiar with the resources and opportunities on campus for conducting research — including labs, libraries, the research park, and interdisciplinary organizations.

  • FA 2013FA 2013

    Eng 315: Learning in Community

    Co-Project Manager/TA (UIUC). Course description: LINC is an interdisciplinary, inquiry-guided service-learning course in which students provide meaningful service through the conception, development, and implementation of projects in collaboration with non-profits and community partners. Each section of the course is dedicated to a nonprofit organization that has proposed one or more projects of importance to the organization.