Teaching philosophy: I focus on fully engaging students with veterinary content, where they are able to immerse themselves in the content, language, skills and concepts of the materials they are studying. This is accomplished through the use of a community-based learning model. The content is at the core of this community. Faculty and staff act as mentors & coaches while facilitating interaction with the central content. Students are an integral part of the community and are encouraged to experiment with their learning based on their needs, previous experiences and professional goals.
The agency created in this educational process shifts the responsibility of learning to the student, allows them to individualize their learning, and set and reach their personal goals while meeting the learning objectives crafted by their instructors. In this process, curiosity is essential. In order to satisfy curiosity, students must be vulnerable and fail occasionally. We reframe these “failures” as opportunities. Teachers and learners within our community understand that deep learning often occurs during these challenging moments, resulting in personal growth and improved resilience. Assessment in this process mirrors learning and focuses on students’ ability to communicate in the language of a veterinary medical professional, demonstrate veterinary clinical skills, define their veterinary knowledge, and apply that knowledge and experience to solve clinical problems.
Innovative Models: Creativity & innovation in education is where my passion lies. I love discovering new ways to teach students and push the limits of change to improve outcomes for my students. I often accomplish this through the creation of interactive, anatomically correct, 3D teaching models and supportive active learning content that allows students across phases to individualize their learning and work as a team to master veterinary terms and concepts, simulate/solve problems, perform and practice clinical skills and communicate as veterinary professionals. These activities are designed to facilitate small and large group discussions in a low-stakes, low-stress environment.
Experience: I am an assistant teaching professor, course coordinator & instructor for anatomy of large domestic animals and an instructor for fundamental principles of anatomy and the clinical skills courses. Previously, I was a lecturer for small and large animal anatomy and taught in the clinical skills course from the fall of 2021 till fall of 2023. From 2014- 2021, I was a senior instructional specialist for the Department of Surgical Sciences.
Prior to my work at the UW SVM, I taught veterinary technician students, worked with a team of researchers for the Department of Otolaryngology at the School of Medicine and Public Health developing novel surgical repairs for vocal fold defects in hope of restoring voice in people diagnosed with dysphonia due to laryngeal disorders, and was both a large and small animal veterinary practitioner at local clinics.
Awards:
2025 UW Madison Teaching Academy Fellow (3-year term)
2025 Excellence in Collaborative Teaching Award nominee
2024 Center for Teaching, Learning & Mentoring Fellow
2024 Zoetis Distinguished Teaching Award nominee
2018 SCAVMA Instructor of the Year
2017 SCAVMA Instructor of the Year nominee
2016 SCAVMA Instructor of the Year nominee
2015 Veterinarian of the Year – Wisconsin Veterinary Technicians Association (WVTA)
Personal Interests: Every chance I get I am off traveling the world, snowboarding, cross country skiing, playing or coaching hockey, swimming, diving, hiking, geocaching, SUP’ing, kayaking, climbing or gardening. I am a citizen scientist for Xerces Society and I raise and release Monarch butterflies annually (eggs collected from milkweed in my yard).
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Trademark: My logo (below) appears on my models. Funding for research and development of my models ultimately was provided by the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents.
For more information, please follow this link to my comparative biosciences webpage:
"Each one of us makes a difference. We cannot live through a single day without making an impact on the world around us- and we have a choice as to what sort of difference we make."
Jane Goodall