I am writing to express my interest in the Lead Trainer and Curriculum Development Specialist position. I often described myself as a scientist, educator, community-builder, and translator, and I believe that my past experiences and current interest in the interdisciplinary fields of life science, community engagement, and curriculum development are closely aligned with the responsibilities of this role.
I have a B.S. in Biochemistry and a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from The University of Texas. During my post-bachelor years, I taught hands-on laboratory classes in organic chemistry. I thought I was a good teacher because I received favorable reviews from students, but I didn’t know anything about the philosophy of teaching. During my graduate training, I was introduced to (and became highly involved with) Software Carpentry, Data Carpentry, and Library Carpentry. It was here that I gained pedagogical skills to teach more effectively, develop a learner-centric curriculum, teach online workshops, host online meetings, and build communities.
As a postdoctoral scholar, I first worked with Dr. C. Titus Brown on the Data Commons Pilot Phase project where my main task was to organize 6 in-person workshops in 6 months in 5 different cities across the US. Each meeting had 50-70 attendees from Europe and the US on- site with approximately 20 remote attendees. I also worked closely with a team to assemble a wealth of online resources through a community portal that made it possible to rapidly share data and ideas across institutions and disciplines. During this time, I obtained a Center for Community Engagement Fellowship where I gained skills, strategies, and wisdom for how to promote productive communication with different audiences and across platforms.
When the Data Commons Pilot Phase project was terminated, I returned to a science communication and research-driven postdoc with Dr. Rebecca Calisi-Rodríguez. I have enjoyed developing software that makes science more accessible to diverse communities through music and open science; however, I do not find research as rewarding as teaching. I am ready to move on to the next chapter where I can harness my enthusiasm for helping others learn skills that they can use to be better in their career as scientific community managers.
Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing about the position and the future directions of the CSSCE.