Joshua K.
Private tutor in College Park, MD
Education
I have a BS in Health Science from Lebanon Valley College, a BS in Biology from Millersville University of Pennsylvania, and I recently received an MS in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP). For my MS work, I studied mate choice and sexual selection in satin bowerbirds – a bird species endemic to Australia known for its elaborate mating rituals. I conducted field research in Australia as well as laboratory work at UMCP, and I completed graduate coursework in behavioral ecology, biostatistics, neuroendocrinology, and molecular evolution.
Experience
In addition to research and coursework at UMCP, I served as a graduate teaching assistant for six semesters, during which time I instructed laboratories for two introductory biology courses, covering topics in cell, molecular, and evolutionary biology and ecology. I also led discussions of primary scientific literature on animal behavior and behavioral ecology. In addition to teaching undergraduate students, I served as a laboratory instructor for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Jump Start program at UMCP, which is a weeklong science camp for junior and senior high school students. Finally, I worked as a seasonal naturalist at Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes, Delaware, during which time I organized and led public programs and kayak tours concerning the natural history and ecology of mid-Atlantic coastal habitats. My primary goal when I work one-on-one with students is to help them build their own intellectual “toolkit”. This involves guiding them toward understanding the concept(s) they are struggling with and helping them achieve the confidence to apply that knowledge to new and more challenging concepts. To achieve this goal, I believe it is important that students take the driver’s seat early on. I often help students learn to take effective notes during their classes, develop skills in drawing their own diagrams to help them visualize complicated material, and practice explaining concepts out loud. I also help students learn to recognize high quality alternative sources of information like primary scientific literature and online educational media. These basic tools will not only prepare students for important assignments and exams in high school and college, they will also prepare them for a lifetime of learning.
Availability
Any day at any time
Can Meet
Up to 20 minutes away for no additional charge
Hobbies
Birding, hiking, running, music, movies, reading.
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