Biography
My primary interest is working with students – both in and out of the Astronomy major – to get all they can from their time here at the University. I dedicate most of my working hours to developing the courses I teach, and to mentoring those students who wish to extend the reach of their education beyond the classroom. I also directly investigate ways of improving the experiences of undergraduates in Astronomy, and have led the development in recent years of University-sponsored Learning Goals for our undergraduates, along with metrics to assess the department’s performance in helping students to meet those goals. Recently I have become more focused on bringing important and needed changes to the broader higher education ecosystem within which our students and faculty operate, and have taken on several leadership roles within the University of Washington's shared governance, including Chair of the Faculty Council on Student Affairs, Chair of the Faculty Senate, and Chair of UW's Senate Committee on Planning and Budgeting.