Member Spotlight

Academy Member Since 2023
Assistant Professor, Medical Laboratory Science Program in the Department of Clinical, Diagnostic, & Therapeutic Sciences
College of Allied Health Professions
Email

What do you do at UNMC?
I teach clinical chemistry to medical laboratory science, physician assistant and clinical perfusion students. I co-direct an infectious disease course in the High School Alliance program. Additionally, I serve as a co-chair on the faculty advisory committee for the Student Health Alliance Reaching Indigent Needy Groups (SHARING) Clinic. I help provide laboratory services and supervise medical laboratory science students at these clinics.

Tell us about your educational research interests and teaching role.
My educational research interests include interprofessional education, distance education and academic remediation. I believe students learn best when they think for themselves, actively participate and see the value of the information presented. Since I teach clinical chemistry, I am interested in seeing if the ways I teach topics help with the transfer of knowledge.

What is one of your favorite/memorable teaching moments?
My most memorable teaching moments are when I witness students applying the information they learned in class to patient cases they see at the SHARING Clinics. Working at interprofessional student run clinics provides my students the opportunity to serve those in need and educate other health care profession students regarding laboratory testing. Observing students having an "aha moment" when a concept makes sense is very rewarding as an instructor.

What do you see as the biggest benefit to being a member of the IAE?
The biggest benefit to being a member of the IAE is the opportunity to connect, collaborate and learn from experts in this interprofessional setting. The Academy offers many resources that encourage educational scholarship and research to improve my own knowledge and skills.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you "grew up" and why?
I wanted to be Bill Nye The Science Guy. I watched his show every Saturday morning and became fascinated with how much fun science was. I realized that many people did not share the same feeling as I did regarding science. I decided that I wanted to teach science to educate others about the importance of science and share my passion with them. I'm inspired by this quote: "Science is the best idea humans ever had. The more people who embrace the idea, the better." – Bill Nye