Ashley Becker Steele is a 2024 WISCIENCE Scientific Teaching Fellow and a PhD candidate in environment and resources with a PhD minor in life sciences communication. She received a BS in biology and behavioral neuroscience from St. Ambrose University in 2018 and an MS in environment and resources from UW–Madison in 2021. Outside of school, she loves to read fantasy books, go for walks by the lake, and try out new restaurants in Madison.
What are you looking forward to doing as a Scientific Teaching Fellow?
I’m looking forward to applying all we’ve learned about best teaching practices to designing and teaching “Exploring Biology” this fall, a first-year biology-focused course. It’s certainly great to take classes on how to become a better instructor, though it seems invaluable to now put those techniques into practice with a teaching team in a supportive environment.
What are some of your career goals and how do you think this program will help you achieve them?
I envision myself teaching at a small liberal arts college someday. Not only do I believe that this program will make me a competitive applicant for a professor position at a university like that, I think it’s also key to helping me build confidence in my teaching abilities and to develop teaching skills that will help me support the learning of my future students.
What is one of the most valuable things you have learned as a Fellow?
One of the most valuable takeaways for me as a Fellow so far is learning how to be intentional in creating an inclusive classroom and an engaging, effective course design. Doing this well requires starting with your goals first, making time for reflection, and recognizing that it’s an iterative process.
What excites you about teaching?
I’m excited about the prospect of helping students discover their own excitement around science. Science is better when we have diverse perspectives, so I hope we can engage the next generation of scientists through a welcoming classroom and thoughtful course design.
Learn more about Scientific Teaching Fellows.