Teaching

Teaching staff of biomechanics along with some students (Fall 2021). Course instructor: Dr. Thomas Daniel (2nd from left); Teaching assistants: Sujay Balebail (Bottom right) and David Cuban (2nd from right on the bottom

I work as a teaching assistant in both upper and lower division courses at the department of biology. I strongly believe in active learning techniques where rather than a traditional lecturing format, the emphasis is to ask questions and allow students to discuss the answers with their peers. Active learning techniques have been shown to improve general understanding of concepts, as well as reduce gaps in performance between historically marginalized communities and their overrepresented peers.
I have been a teaching assistant in the following courses:
1) Conservation of large vertebrates
2) Biomechanics
3) Foundations in Physiology
4) Developmental Biology
5) Invertebrate Zoology
6) Developmental neurobiology
7) Introductory biology

Mentorship

Zongyu (Jiho) Li. Photo credit: Sandra Yang

Andy Kim

I have mentored several undergraduate research assistants. I try to ensure that all my assistants understand the 'bigger picture', the main purpose or motivation behind the research work. I strongly encourage people who work under me to develop problem solving skills, and to think independently, which are useful skills regardless of the career path they eventually choose to take. I have mentored the following students:

Harmanjot Grewal - Assisted in performing tethered flight experiments to investigate the role of haltere feedback in regulating wingbeat amplitude in the housefly Musca domestica, in the lab of Dr. Sanjay Sane.
Zongyu Li, Sandra Yang, Cassie Kim, Anton Reicherter, Andy Kim, John Han, Arrion Norris Chao, Amythest Zhang- Assisted in performing field acoustic trapping experiments to investigate whether the harmonic structure of the mating calls produced by type I male plainfin midshipman is necessary for attracting females.