Teaching and Mentoring

COURSES – The College of Wooster

  1. Foundations of Biology (BIOL111). This introductory course focuses on concepts considered central to understanding biology, including the nature of science, inheritance, gene expression, descent with modification and evolution by natural selection. This course is designed to provide potential biology majors with the fundamental concepts required for the study of biology. The course serves as a prerequisite for all biology courses number higher than 20000.
  2. Cell Physiology and Laboratory (BIOL305). This course focuses on the cellular and molecular basis for complex physiological processes such as aging, disease pathologies, tissue formation and maintenance, and intracellular communication. Specific concepts covered include, signal transduction, membrane biology, cell division, maintaining cellular organization, and motility. The laboratory will include student-led investigations, using model organisms to explore complex cellular processes. Three lectures and one laboratory/discussion section a week. Prerequisite(s): CHEM-11200, minimum grade C-, and BIOL-20100, minimum grade of C-; or permission of the instructor.
  3. Computational Biology and Laboratory (BIOL345).This course focuses on core concepts in mathematical and computational modeling of complex biological processes. Specific topics include modeling of molecular networks, cellwide processes such as metabolism, physiological processes, pattern formation and population dynamics. A key objective of the course is to showcase the power of, and need for theoretical and computational approaches in biological and biomedical research. The course will include student-led investigations of current primary literature, and the use of computational models to gain insight into the dynamics of complex biological processes at multiple scales. Computer programming skills are not a pre-requisite. Three hours of lecture a week Prerequisite(s): BIOL-20100, minimum grade C-, and 1 BIOL-30500, BIOL-30600, BIOL-30700, BIOL-33500, BIOL-36600, BIOL-37700, BIOL-38000, or IDPT-20013.
  4. Gateway to Molecular and Cellular Biology and Laboratory (BIOL201). This course serves as an introduction to the major concepts in the fields of molecular and cellular biology. Topics include cellular structure, bioenergetics, metabolism, biosynthesis, photosynthesis, cell division and growth, and molecular genetics. In laboratory, students will learn specific laboratory techniques and will gain experience interpreting and communicating experimental results. Prerequisite(s): BIOL-11100, Minimum grade C-; Previous or concurrent reqistration in CHEM-11200.; Take BIOL-20100L; CHEM-11200 (and CHEM-11200L).
  5. Introduction to Bioinformatics (IDPT20013). Bioinformatics applies the tools of computer science to the research questions of molecular biology and biological chemistry. In this class students are first introduced to the basic concepts of molecular biology and computer programming. Subsequently, students work collaboratively to develop and explore the analytical tools of bioinformatics, as applied to the analysis of genomes, the prediction of RNA and protein structure, and the analysis of evolutionary relationships. Prerequisite(s): CSCI 10000, minimum grade C-, CSCI 10200, minimum grade C-, or BIOL 20100, minimum grade C-; or permission of the instructor.
  6. First Year Seminar – Everything is a Network (FYSM-10100-39). What do your cells, cellphones, infectious diseases and political beliefs have in common? They can be explored through the emerging field of network science! This First-Year Seminar will examine a diverse range of complex systems such as societies, business relationships, cells, ecosystems and the internet. We will begin by discovering the networks that thread through our world, guided by the popular science book ‘Linked’ [A.-L. Barabási]. Aided by the sci-fi novel ‘A Deepness in the Sky’ [V. Vinge], we will examine networks our society may need to contend with in the future. Through a hands-on visualization project combined with alumni interactions, we will also discover the breadth and complexity of the Wooster alumni network. In addition, during Fall break you will have the opportunity to travel to Chicago, meet with alumni and experience the breadth of options offered by a CoW education.

CLASS WEBPAGES – The College of Wooster

        – FYS-FA2017: Everything is a Network

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

  • 08/2015 – present, Assistant Professor, College of Wooster, Wooster, OH
    Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program
  • 01/2012 – 06/2012, Teaching faculty,
    Physics Department, Northeastern University, Boston, MA
    Class: Interactive Learning Seminar for Physics 101 (undergraduate)
  • 03/2010 – 06/2010, Course leader and teaching faculty,
    Center for Vascular Biology Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
    Class: The complexity of cellular networks (for postdocs and faculty)
  • 10/1999 – 12/2000, Graduate Teaching Assistant,
    Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, RO.
    Class: Problem-solving tutorial in Quantum Mechanics I, physics majors.
    Teaching faculty: Zoltán Gábos.
  • 10/1998 – 02/1999, Undergraduate Teaching Assistant,
    Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, RO.
    Class: Problem-solving tutorial in Quantum Mechanics I, physics majors.
    Teaching faculty: Zoltán Néda.
  • 02/1998 – 06/1998, Undergraduate Teaching Assistant,
    Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, RO.
    Class: Problem-solving tutorial in Quantum Mechanics, mathematics-physics double majors.
    Teaching faculty: Zoltán Néda.

MENTORING EXPERIENCE

  • Independent Study at the College of Wooster 
    • Computational modeling of biological systems
      • 2016: Andrew Hamel
      • 2017: Micah Auerbach, Laura Cremer, Herbert Sizek, Nate Sundheimer
      • 2018: Campbell Elliott, Brendan Kelley-Bukovac, Caroline Obermeier, Elizabeth Obi, Emma Schroeter
      • 2019: Eric Guberman, Carolina Shams, Afton Widdershins
      • 2020: Vi Huynh, Bao Nguyen, Emma Sullivan, Qaiser Zaidi
    • Experimental projects at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center
      • 2016: Heather Skinner
      • 2017: Andrea Wade
  • Research Assistants at the College of Wooster
    • Eifu Tomita, Hyuga Uchida, Zachary Engfer, Rie Matsuzaki, Afton Widdershins,
      Merlin Li, Zhen Guo, Qaiser Zaidi, Sarah Campbell, Hikmet Sherief, Sadia Raisa, Jiho Park
  • Mentor for the NetSci High Program, 2010 – 2013, 
    • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
    • Program: Educational outreach program to introduce the science of networks to high school students.
    • NetSci High 2012
      • Team of 4 high school students, Boston University Academy
      • Objective: model the influence of external inputs on the energy landscape of small regulatory networks (weekly meetings).
    • NetSci High 2011 (Pilot)
      • One high school student (ML Cerulli), Winsor High School
      • Objective: map the phenotypic heterogeneity of endothelial cells in distinct segments of the kidney vasculature (weekly meetings).
  • Mentor for the Research Science Institute (RSI) 2012 – 2015
    • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
    • Program: Summer science and engineering program to combine theory course work and research (Center for Excellence in Education, hosted by MIT).
    • RSI 2012
      • One high school student, “Dr. Petar Beron” High School of Mathematics
      • Objective: develop energy landscape visualization for Boolean regulatory network state transition graphs (daily meetings).
  • Mentor for the Center for Vascular Biology Summer Student Research Program, 2011 – 2015
    • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
    • Program: enable advanced high school students and college undergraduates to conduct supervised research with a HMS faculty mentor.
    • CVBR Summer Student Research Program 2012
      • One high school student, Winsor High School (volunteer)
      • Objective: build an agent-based model of spatial patterns in heterogeneous vWF expression, observed in the mouse aorta (daily meetings).
    • CVBR Summer Student Research Program 2011
      • One undergraduate student, University of Massachusetts (paid)
      • Objective: develop a sampling algorithm of the state space of large Boo- lean regulatory networks (1-2 meetings/week).
  • Mentor for High school Research Volunteer,  6/2011 – 6/2012
    • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
      • One high school student, Winsor High School (volunteer)
      • Objective: assemble a Boolean network model of angiogenic pattern formation (weekly meetings for 3 semesters; daily meetings during 1 month of her full-time Independent Learning Experience internship).
  • Host for Center for Nonlinear Studies Visiting Students, 2006
    • Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
      • One undergraduate student, Babes-Bolyai University (paid)
      • One graduate student, University of Notre Dame (paid)