Ali York was a WISCIENCE Scientific Teaching Fellow in 2017 while pursuing a PhD in genetics. Today, she works as an evaluation specialist in the Office of the Provost at Washington University in St. Louis. She provides her expertise in the assessment of student learning and experience and in the design and implementation of psychosocial interventions and programmatic initiatives intended to enhance equity in student outcomes, particularly in STEM fields. One of her main projects is creating data-informed feedback loops within courses and departments to close equity gaps in student outcomes. In her free time, she spends most of her time playing with her two young children, and she also likes to do arts and crafts, including painting and embroidery.
What was your favorite part of the Scientific Teaching Fellows program?
I loved working with a supportive community to improve our teaching skills together. I got to meet a lot of others who were really passionate about teaching as well.
What was one of the most valuable things you learned as a Fellow?
It was really valuable to be taught best practices in teaching and then get the chance to practice them in a supportive environment.
How have you applied the skills and knowledge from this program in your career?
I frequently use the knowledge I gained during my time as a Fellow in my career today. I work closely with a colleague who is also a former Scientific Teaching Fellow (in a cohort a couple of years before me), and we frequently discuss the best strategies to help our faculty partners accomplish their goals, such as how to increase participation in class or how to provide more structure to group assignments.
What advice do you have for new Fellows coming into this program?
Make sure to get to know the other Fellows and solicit their feedback. Other Fellows come from different backgrounds or have different experiences in teaching, and their perspectives are really valuable to help you become a better teacher.
Learn more about Scientific Teaching Fellows.