Kelley D. Erickson
University of Miami-Ecology Lab: As a TA for this writing-intensive lab, I brought students out into the field, taught them how to use R and guided them through the scientific writing process.
University of Miami-Evolution and Biodiversity Lab: As a Lab Instructor for this course, I guided students through two inquiry-based projects all the way from hypothesis formation and experimental design to data analysis and communicating their results in the form of a scientific talk and a poster presentation. In the first project, students designed studies to explore how a biotic or abiotic factor influenced species diversity of invertebrates living in the lake on campus. In the second project, students designed experiments to better understand agonistic behavior in Betta splendens.
University of Miami-General Biology Lab: As a Lab Instructor for this course, I guided first-year students through two inquiry-based research projects, including how to access scientific literature, how to design their own experiments, lab safety, statistical analysis and how to construct a scientific poster and a powerpoint presentation. In the first project, students used yeast as a model system to study enzyme kinematics. In the second project, students designed their own experiments involving cellular mitosis in onion root cells.
HHMI Research in Ecology for Middle School Students and Teachers: In this summer program for middle school students in the Miami-Dade school system, I mentored a team of eight students and two K-12 teachers as they developed a project investigating feeding behaviors and stress response in macaques.
Girl Scout Naturalist Badge Day: As one of the leaders for the Flowers and Trees badge workshop, I planned and lead activities for Juniors to earn their badges. During this full day of activities, girls learned about essential oils while designing their own perfumes from the flowers they collected from a ylang ylang tree, were guided through the major plant families during a tour of the Gifford Arboretum, and designed their own floral headbands using the language of flowers.