PEP Talks

In this episode of PEPTalks, host Dr. Amy Graham is joined by Alona Kladieva to discuss her love of languages, teaching English as a second language both here and abroad, and her experiences as a graduate student from Ukraine during times of war. Throughout the episode, Alona shares her journey, offering insights into language instruction and the transformative power of education. From discussing innovative teaching methodologies to the importance of cultural sensitivity in language learning, Alona provides invaluable advice for both educators and learners alike.   Alona is a first-year Ph.D. student in Second Language Acquisition at the University of Arizona. She is also the Co-Chair of the Curriculum and Assessment Team (CAT) where she revises and revamps student learning outcomes in the Foundation Writing Program at the university.

In this episode, Dr. Amy Graham welcomes Dr. Lisa Rezende for an enlightening conversation about online course development in the sciences. They dive into the significance of outreach for demystifying science to the general public. Dr. Rezende, a former Business major turned Microbiology Ph.D., shares insights into giving students agency in course design and fostering a “should-free” learning environment. She also touches upon her time as the Education Director for FORCE, an organization championing families battling hereditary cancer. A proud first-generation college graduate, Dr. Rezende earned her B.S. in Biochemistry from California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo and later secured her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She is also a past American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellow, in which she translated scientific research for the public at NPR. Currently, she serves as an Associate Professor of Practice in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, where she also heads the online programs. Among her courses are Intro Biology, Genetics, and Critical Reasoning in Biomedicine.

Dr. Kristin Winet joins Dr. Amy Graham to delve into professional development avenues for educators, particularly resources offered to graduate and postdoctoral students via the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL). This network of research institutions offers courses and workshops geared towards nurturing innovative teaching practices among its students. Together Dr. Kristin Winet and Dr. Amy Graham explore the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), the value of ongoing teacher reflection and collecting feedback, and fostering a teacher community. They further discuss the administrative roles in education and the importance of teaching authentically and building student connections. Dr. Kristin Winet earned her B.A. at the University of Georgia and holds an M.F.A. in Creative Nonfiction and a Ph.D. in Rhetoric, Composition, and the Teaching of English from the University of Arizona. Presently, she not only serves as the Program Administrator for the Center for Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL), but also is an Associate Professor of Practice in the University Center for Assessment, Teaching, and Technology (UCATT). In this capacity, she teaches courses, workshops, and cultivates learning communities. Beyond the academic realm, Dr. Winet’s passions extend to travel writing and photography.

*WARNING: this episode contains a discussion about suicide* Dr. John Jewett's 8th-grade self somehow knew that he would be a science professor! Hear the story of how he got here by receiving a letter from his former self while in college. Also: ways that he prepares for an upcoming semester by learning from the previous one, strategies for using videos to support instruction, and a bevy of ways to incorporate music into class. Dr. Amy Graham and Dr. John Jewett discuss the importance of having conversations about mental health and being open with students. They also talk about developing collaborative spaces and the ways in which working with students can expand our understanding of ourselves and our own privilege.

Andrea Hamilton, a current graduate student and mentor TA, talks with Dr. Amy Graham about her pathway from wanting to be a doctor to being a PhD candidate in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. She gives strategies for preparing to teach new material while recognizing that no one can possibly know everything and the importance of honoring yourself while crafting your teaching style. Hear ways of explaining complex topics, developing patience, and managing time and the stress of being a graduate student and TA.    Andrea Hamilton started graduate school in August 2019 and was in her third year at this time. Andrea was a mentor TA for the general chemistry laboratories which involved helping typically first-year TAs dive into the world of teaching. She has taught general chemistry and honors general chemistry, both of which are exciting to teach students that may have never been exposed to chemistry before. She is currently researching the effect of electrical stimulation on dopamine release in the brain and hopes to graduate in December 2024.

Through discussion of the courses she teaches, Dr. Amy Drescher gives strategies to have students approach complex topics and sound advice for all about how people approach food. Dr. Drescher shares her journey toward achieving her PhD that includes overcoming a lack of mentorship and an unrealistic expectation of what it would take to complete it as well as the importance of giving grace and celebrating success in the face of challenges. Dr. Graham and Dr. Drescher explore purposes for bringing students together and how to manage group dynamics in the classroom space.  Amy earned her bachelor’s and Doctoral degree at the University of Arizona and completed a combined dietetic internship and graduate school program at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Her diverse career path includes practicing as a clinical dietitian, conducting clinical research in both pediatrics and adults, directing a Dietetic internship, writing, and consulting. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Practice for the School of Nutritional Sciences and Wellness at the University of Arizona. She teaches online and in person introductory nutrition courses, upper division courses; Applied Nutrition and Disease and Counseling and Education as well as a graduate level course; Assessment and Regulation of Human Body Composition. She is passionate about mentoring the next generation of nutrition professionals as well as new faculty. In addition to spending time with her family, which includes her husband, three teen/adult boys and two rescue dogs, she also enjoys being an AFAA certified exercise instructor specializing in mat Pilates and currently pursuing certification in Pilates using equipment.

Dr. Amy Graham and Dr. Kate Bunton discuss how they were thrown into teaching and how they learned from those experiences. They also share strategies for building off of what students already know, how to create a positive classroom environment, and how to move into teaching skills rather than just knowledge. Dr. Bunton also gives advice on how to effectively use homework in the classroom as well as what she can learn from it to reduce the laborious nature of it.  Kate Bunton, PhD, CCC-SLP, is an Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, and Associate Department Head in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at the University of Arizona. She also serves as Director of the Program for Excellence in Learning and Teaching at the University of Arizona. Her research expertise includes kinematic, aerodynamic and acoustic characteristics of normal and disordered speech production and correlates of speech intelligibility. Dr. Bunton has held funding from both the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. Dr. Bunton has experience mentoring students at multiple levels of training, including undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral.

Dr. Lisa Elfring and Dr. Amy Graham discuss their pathways from research into teaching by being guided by what motivated them. Lisa also shares insights into how she likes to be called in the academic world, how teaching has shaped her as a parent (and vis versa), advice for developing a personal teaching style, strategies for soliciting student feedback, and some funny stories of the inevitable moments of running into students off campus.  Lisa Elfring is a Specialist in the Molecular and Cellular Biology department, where she focuses her efforts on improving teaching and learning of biology and other science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines. Since 2016, she has served administratively as the Associate Vice Provost for Instruction and Assessment, leading the Office of Instruction and Assessment (and now, co-leading the University Center for Assessment, Teaching, and Technology. She has been at the University of Arizona since 1998 and has taught nearly ten thousand biology majors, biology graduate students, secondary biology teachers-in-training, and working biology teachers, as well as, occasionally, medical students. Away from work, she is a parent of three daughters and three rescue dogs. Between the job, the family, and the dogs, her hobbies are mostly restricted to reading and cooking.

Dr. Erin Galyen, a Professor of Practice with the University Center for Assessment, Teaching, and Technology and the Co-Coordinator of the Certificate in College Teaching program, highlights some of the resources available through UCATT. She shares examples of different types of active learning, courses available, coaching and support opportunities, one week mini-courses on a variety of topics such as "course level assessment", strategies for collaborative and inclusive learning environments, and resources to enhance their teaching skills regardless of their level of experience.  Since the recording of this conversation one of the UA educational development mentors who is mentioned during the conversation, Dr. Terri Riffe, passed away. Terri was devoted to supporting quality teaching and learning at the UA for decades, primarily in her role as the director of the University Teaching Center, which was one of the precursor units of OIA. Erin would like to dedicate this episode in recognition and appreciation of all the work that Terri completed in support of the educational community at the University of Arizona.    Resources discussed in this episode:  CAPS Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning  Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning  Learner Centered Teaching Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty  Interactive Lecturing: A Handbook for College Faulty  Teach Students How to Learn Small Teaching Online UCATT FLC Minding Bodies: How Physical Space, Sensation, and Movement Affect Learning   Dr. Erin Galyen (she/her) is a Professor of Practice with the University Center for Assessment, Teaching, and Technology and the Co-Coordinator of the Certificate in College Teaching program. Her responsibilities include teaching and administrative support in the program. She teaches the courses IA 697a: Learner-Centered Teaching, IA 497/597: Mindful Teaching and Learning, and IA 697p: College Teaching Practice. Erin also provides general teaching support services, such as instructional workshops and mini-courses, observations, focus groups, and individual consulting to instructors. She has worked with kindergarteners through adults in a variety of formal and informal education settings for almost 25 years and in a variety of roles. She holds a B.A. in Physics, an M.S. in Astronomy, an M.A. in English with a specialty in Rhetoric, Composition, and Teaching of English, a Ph.D. in Teaching and Teacher Education, and a graduate certificate in Instructional Design and Technology. She is also a graduate of the Certificate in College Teaching program.

Dr. Amy Graham talks with educator and TA mentor, Dr. Colleen Kelley about her path to academia as a first generation college student and how that has shaped her teaching. Dr. Kelley shares some best practices for teaching, grading, strategies to diminish anxiety in the classroom, and the benefits of observing other educators. Dr. Colleen Kelley is the Creator and Founder of Kids’ Chemical Solutions (www.kidschemicalsolutions.com) which is a comic-book based chemistry curriculum intended for kids ages 8 – 108. Her journey as a chemist began at The University of Richmond where she received her B.S. in Chemistry. She fell in love with the world of discovery and research and wanted to continue to explore more chemistry. She headed to Penn State University and dashed through graduate school receiving her Ph.D. in chemistry at the age of 24. She was having so much fun doing chemistry research that she accepted a Chateaubriand Postdoctoral Fellowship in Strasbourg, France with Nobel Prize winner Jean-Marie Lehn. Colleen was a first-generation college student who kept following her flow of having fun doing chemistry research. Fast forward 30 years later to the tail-end of her career teaching chemistry in higher education, Colleen finds herself captivated by the question, “Why do my students think chemistry is SO hard?” Dr. Kelley now conducts her research in Chemical Education to uncover this mystery. What she has discovered is that learning chemistry is very much like learning music. Both disciplines are dependent on the interpretation of symbols and the development of fluency with these symbols. We know that the best time to learn music is between ages 6 – 10 when the brain has the plasticity to make the neural connections necessary. We NOW know, through Dr. Kelley’s research, that this is also the best time to learn chemistry. Dr. Kelley is now teaching in 4th and 5th grade classrooms in Arizona using her chemistry comic book series. The kids are excited and embracing learning through this platform. What’s next? “My WHY is to make learning chemistry fun, accessible, and inclusive so that it becomes a 'normal’ part of a child’s education.”

While Dr. Ashley Jordan has always had a clear vision of herself as an educator, her journey reinforces how opportunities can come from a wide variety of places. Learn about tools, strategies, and creative assessments that she employs in her online classes that can be transferred to in-person classroom communities. Dr. Amy Graham and Dr. Ashley Jordan also admit that they have been wrong and discuss how they handle it when that happens.  Some resources discussed:  Play Pause It  Adobe Specialist  Prezi Building rubrics in D2L  Ashley C. Jordan is an Associate Professor of Practice and Director of Online Programs for the Psychology department at University of Arizona.  Her primary research interests revolve around the scholarship of teaching and learning in online contexts in Higher Education. Specifically, she is interested in how pedagogical practices and technologies can be used and incorporated in an online environment to enhance student engagement with the instructor, with peers, and with course material. Her ultimate goal is to increase student success:  meaning better learning (evidenced through improved grades) and better retention (evidenced through graduation rates and time to degree). When she's not teaching undergraduate courses, she enjoys exploring new hiking trails and spending time with her nine-year-old twin daughters.

Keerthana Kesavan, an experienced graduate TA, shares strategies for creating a comfortable learning environment and a connected classroom culture while navigating the American university structure as an international student.  Keerthana completed a Ph.D. in biochemistry at the University of Arizona in 2022. During graduate school, she was a teaching assistant for 5+ years and has taught general and organic chemistry labs and assisted with some lectures. Keerthana has won awards for her teaching including receiving the promotion to Distinguished TA, the highest honor awarded by the Dept. of Chemistry & Biochemistry (CBC). In 2021, she was selected to join CBC's TA Evaluation Committee, which discusses and evaluates the performance of graduate students every semester. She currently works as a scientist in Illumina's protein engineering group in San Diego. Resources discussed in the episode:  CAPS: Counseling and Psych Services Ballroom Dance Club Clubs on campus  Small Teaching

Dr. Amy Graham talks with Dr. Tori Hidalgo, an associate professor of practice in the Chemistry and Biochemistry department at the University of Arizona (see her full bio on the show site). She shares her journey to becoming an educator and how she overcame her own struggles to become the educator that she needed in school. She also discusses advice for giving feedback, creating an inclusive classroom, tools for active learning, and more.  Tori was awarded Distinguished Early-Career in 2017. In 2021 she was awarded both The Innovation in Teaching award, and The University of Arizona Foundation Leicester and Kathryn Sherrill Creative Teaching Award for her work in the large classroom and has continued to elevate the learning experience for her students despite the large class size and through the transition to zoom during the 2020-2021 academic year.   Resources and materials discussed in the episode:  Make it Stick Book  (Faculty Learning Communities) FLC  Sandwich Method for giving feedback  Walkie Talkie App  Discord App

Marco is a graduate TA pursuing a masters in TESL at the University of Arizona. He shares his journey as an international student and what he enjoys most about teaching. Join Dr. Amy Graham as she discusses the notion of experts, making mistakes, and the power of language with Marco.    Marco Filangieri was born and raised in Naples, Italy. He is a current Instructor of Record in the Writing Program and will soon graduate with an MA TESOL. He has 5+ years of international teaching experience with a wide range of levels and educational contexts. His teaching values place him as a facilitator of knowledge and practice, with emphasis on engaging, collaborative activities that are tailored to the students' interests and different learning aptitudes.

Dr. Melody Buckner and Dr. Lisa Elfring discuss some of the amazing resources offered at the University Center for Assessment, Teaching, and Technology at the University of Arizona.  UCATT site Melody Buckner, PhD, is the Associate Vice Provost of Digital Learning Initiatives and Online Education. She joined the University of Arizona six years ago as an Instructional Designer to help faculty create online courses that reach out and engage students in an online UA experience. Before coming to the University of Arizona, she served as an Instructional Designer in Professional Development and as an adjunct faculty for Pima Community College. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Architecture from Arizona State University and a Master’s degree in Educational Technology from Northern Arizona University. Melody earned her PhD in Learning and Sociocultural Studies from the University of Arizona in 2015. Her informal education consists of living in over 40 different places, including several countries in Europe. Lisa Elfring is a Specialist in the Molecular and Cellular Biology department, where she focuses her efforts on improving teaching and learning of biology and other science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines. Since 2016, she has served administratively as the Associate Vice Provost for Instruction and Assessment, leading the Office of Instruction and Assessment (and now, co-leading the University Center for Assessment, Teaching, and Technology. She has been at the University of Arizona since 1998 and has taught nearly ten thousand biology majors, biology graduate students, secondary biology teachers-in-training, and working biology teachers, as well as, occasionally, medical students. Away from work, she is a parent of three daughters and three rescue dogs. Between the job, the family, and the dogs, her hobbies are mostly restricted to reading and cooking.

Meet your host Dr. Amy Graham and hear why she has decided to engage in conversations about productive educational practices with members of the University of Arizona community.