Teaching
I have had the privelege to have been involved in two courses as a teaching assistant at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India.
Culture of Scientific Research (for PhD students) - two-semester course (2018-19; 2019-20)
The course dealt with a wide range of historical and cultural topics relevant to contemporary research in the biological sciences. I ran parallel discussion groups for the students and helped the instructors with running the course and grading assignments.
Evolution and Diversity (for Master's students) - single-semester course (2016)
I also T.A.-ed for the "Evolution and Diversity" course for Masters' students in the Wildlife Biology program, where we covered basic concepts in evolutionary biology, geographical patterns of diversity, and the underlying evolutionary mechanisms that create biological diversity, among other topics.
Culture of Scientific Research (for PhD students) - two-semester course (2018-19; 2019-20)
The course dealt with a wide range of historical and cultural topics relevant to contemporary research in the biological sciences. I ran parallel discussion groups for the students and helped the instructors with running the course and grading assignments.
Evolution and Diversity (for Master's students) - single-semester course (2016)
I also T.A.-ed for the "Evolution and Diversity" course for Masters' students in the Wildlife Biology program, where we covered basic concepts in evolutionary biology, geographical patterns of diversity, and the underlying evolutionary mechanisms that create biological diversity, among other topics.
Outreach
I enjoy reporting on and writing about science for non-scientists. I attended the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in 2021 as a student reporter and wrote an article on solar weather that was published in the National Association of Science Writers newsroom. Read it here.
In 2020, I worked informally with the Echo Network, a social innovation partnership program, to help develop outreach material for their social media.
I believe science outreach for children is critically important. I have been involved with Skype A Scientist since 2019, and have had thought-provoking conversations with middle school children across the globe. If you're a scientist or teacher, please consider signing up!
I also wrote a science communication piece in 2018 covering some research from my PhD lab (unrelated to my research), on how mutations can create fitness tradeoffs. Read it here.
I was also the editor of Manthan, a student-run magazine at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, where I planned content, solicited, wrote and edited articles.
In 2020, I worked informally with the Echo Network, a social innovation partnership program, to help develop outreach material for their social media.
I believe science outreach for children is critically important. I have been involved with Skype A Scientist since 2019, and have had thought-provoking conversations with middle school children across the globe. If you're a scientist or teacher, please consider signing up!
I also wrote a science communication piece in 2018 covering some research from my PhD lab (unrelated to my research), on how mutations can create fitness tradeoffs. Read it here.
I was also the editor of Manthan, a student-run magazine at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, where I planned content, solicited, wrote and edited articles.
Service
I believe that an institution is only as good as its culture. I was actively involved with student initiatives and institutional committees at both my graduate and undergraduate institutions that helped promote inclusion on the basis of gender, and raise awareness about mental health.
From 2016-2019, I was a graduate student representative on the institutional Internal Complaints Committee, created under a 2013 act. During my tenure, I co-developed and ran institution-wide seminars aimed at gender sensitization.
In the light of increasing reports on poor mental health in academia, I also co-designed and conducted an extensive survey assessing student mental health on campus (within a team of five graduate students). We analyzed and disseminated the results of the survey to the student community between 2017-18, which helped facilitate dialogue about mental health and systemic contributors to student stress.
In 2013, I was an undergraduate representative on the Student Representative Council that helped mobilise the student body and represent their interests on issues of gender-based discrimination and harassment to the institute administration.
From 2016-2019, I was a graduate student representative on the institutional Internal Complaints Committee, created under a 2013 act. During my tenure, I co-developed and ran institution-wide seminars aimed at gender sensitization.
In the light of increasing reports on poor mental health in academia, I also co-designed and conducted an extensive survey assessing student mental health on campus (within a team of five graduate students). We analyzed and disseminated the results of the survey to the student community between 2017-18, which helped facilitate dialogue about mental health and systemic contributors to student stress.
In 2013, I was an undergraduate representative on the Student Representative Council that helped mobilise the student body and represent their interests on issues of gender-based discrimination and harassment to the institute administration.
