Teaching

Assistant Professor of Environmental Science at Barnard College

I am an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science at Barnard College. I am the principal investigator leading The Brenner Lab, Barnard College’s Coastal Oceans Lab. I am currently teaching/have taught:

  • Workshop in Sustainable Development

  • Senior Seminar for senior thesis students

  • Science and Society on Screen (First Year Seminar)

  • Urban Oceanography: Where the City Meets the Sea

  • A Day in the Life of a New York Scientist (Field Trip Course)

  • Environmental Science Journal Club

  • Independent Studies

Learn more about Barnard Environmental Science Classes here!

My first Workshop in Sustainable Development team in Fall 2019! They did a great job distilling complex scientific information into infographics and an informative video on some lingering health effects associated with a superfund site.

My first Workshop in Sustainable Development team in Fall 2019! They did a great job distilling complex scientific information into infographics and an informative video on some lingering health effects associated with a superfund site.

Frontiers of Science at Columbia University (2017-2019)

Frontiers of Science is the interdisciplinary core science requirement for all Columbia College students. Frontiers introduces students to different topics from the forefront of four scientific fields (Neuroscience, Astrophysics, Biodiversity, and Earth Science) while instilling and practicing quantitative reasoning skills. We call these skills Scientific Habits of Mind, which are characteristic of the scientific inquiry. Weekly lectures provide the reference context and small class seminars allow students to more deeply explore the frontiers through discussions, experiments, debates, projects, and more. 

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Teaching Development in Graduate School

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Teaching Observation Fellowship (TOF)

Fall 2016-2017 I was a Teaching Observation Fellow with Columbia's Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). As a fellow I will be working with the CTL to "design, implement, and assess elements of teaching" to improve my skills through a series of lectures, workshops, and peer-to-peer evaluations. During the second half of the fellowship I worked with CTL teaching consultants to do evaluations requested by professors in the Columbia community. 

Innovative Teaching Summer Institute (ITSI)

At the end of the week we presented our evolving lesson plans to all of the participants.

At the end of the week we presented our evolving lesson plans to all of the participants.

ITSI is a week-long intensive workshop with discussions, presentations, and activities aimed at teaching graduate students how to incorporate innovative techniques into their classrooms. The workshop was sponsored by Columbia University's  (CTL). We focused on developing learning goals, using formative and summative assessments, and hands-on activities to create engaging lesson plans. Prior to the workshop we developed an innovative lesson plan and throughout the week we edited and altered it to reflect what we learned. The evolution of my lesson plan reflected my new commitment to audience participation, peer review, and communication to a variety of audiences.

Fellowship in Academic Administration

In Fall 2016 I was a Fellow in Columbia Student Advising (CSA) working with Academic Resources in Support of Academic Excellence (ARISE). As a fellow with ARISE I organized and executed the annual training for new undergraduate tutors, assisted with hiring, observing and evaluating tutors, and facilitated academic skills workshops. Although I had this fellowship as a graduate student, it was great preparation for my current faculty position.