Teaching Experiences

I love to teach! In 2017, I became the only undergraduate student in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at the University of Illinois to create, design, and lead my own class, ABE 397: Mobile and Web Development for ABE Students.

My teaching has consistently been highly rated by students, landing me on the List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent By Their Students every time I have had teaching evaluations. I've been rated outstanding twice, which puts me in the top ten percent of all instructors at the university for "Overall Teaching Effectiveness."

Moreover, I've recently created a new course on human-centered design principles, aimed at empowering students to tackle substantial challenges like disasters through the lens of design justice. Entitled ETMA 499: Community-based Design and Management for Disaster Resilience, this course, conceptualized in 2023 and officially launched in 2024, marks another step in my commitment to advancing education.

ENG 100:

Illinois Engineering First-Year Experience (2017-2019)

Within this class, I taught, mentored, and guided freshmen in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering on how to be successful university students, focusing on campus resources, study tools, interview preparation, resume reviews, and writing tips. Moreover, I modified the curriculum by adding two final, engineering-focused projects to the class.

ABE 397:

Mobile and Web Development for ABE Students (2017-2019)

I created this class with Dr. Kaustubh Bhalerao and designed every element of this course, including the syllabus, assignments, projects, quizzes, and teaching materials. I taught students how to code simple applications using Swift, Python, and XCode, such as clock, timer, gaming, photo, and storage apps for Apple devices. From Summer 2017 until December 2019, I taught this class every semester until I graduated.

INFO/CS 101:

Little Bits to Big Ideas (2020)

I conducted lab sessions to help students grasp the core concepts of computer science and gain proficiency in coding languages like Python, Assembly, HTML, and CSS. My approach involved organizing live Zoom sessions, developing instructional YouTube videos, crafting written lab guidelines, and producing comprehensive study materials. Notably, one of these study guides comprised an extensive 170-slide resource.

ENG 177:

Disaster Resilience Scholars - Puerto Rico (2022-Present)

I lead and support undergraduate students in stakeholder engagement and community-centered participatory research endeavors, with a special emphasis on food, energy, and water systems in Puerto Rico. Additionally, I take charge of organizing and supervising study abroad programs in Puerto Rico, broadening students' global perspectives and offering them immersive educational experiences.

ABE 452:

Engineering for Disaster Resilience (2022-Present)

I lead hands-on projects involving undergraduate and graduate students in designing resilient engineering systems in disaster-prone regions in Puerto Rico. Together, we collaborate closely with local communities, humanitarian organizations, and fellow scholars to identify sustainable engineering approaches, guaranteeing the smooth execution of impactful solutions alongside our partner communities.

ETMA 499:

Community-based Design and Management for Disaster Resilience (2023-Present)

I created, designed, and am currently teaching this class with Dr. Luis Rodriguez. I teach students about design justice principles and how to apply them to environmental and human-centered design problems. Further, I highlight the importance of project management within community-based engineering work.