Professional Bio
I believe education is an act of cultivation. My work centers on creating learning environments where curiosity is welcomed, complexity is embraced, and students develop the confidence to construct understanding rather than simply receive information. Through active learning, interactive anatomical models, and collaborative educational design, I seek to make learning visible, accessible, and deeply connected to the realities of veterinary practice.
I am an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Comparative Biosciences at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, where I teach veterinary anatomy and design active learning experiences that integrate foundational science with professional reasoning and clinical relevance. My educational scholarship explores learner variability, professional formation, and constructivist approaches to teaching in the health professions.
My work includes the development of anatomically accurate teaching models, simulation resources, and open educational materials that support active, collaborative, and inclusive learning. These resources are used throughout the veterinary curriculum and in outreach and interdisciplinary collaborations.
Whether designing a model, facilitating a discussion, or conducting educational research, I am guided by a simple question: How can we design learning environments that enable people not only to succeed, but thrive?
Awards
● Zoetis Distinguished Teaching Award (2026) – nominee
● Alumni Achievement Award Nominee (2026), Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine
● Bassam Z. Shakhashiri Public Science Engagement Award Nominee (2026), University of
Wisconsin-Madison
● Zoetis Distinguished Teaching Award (2024) – nominee
● Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association (SAVMA) (2018)- Instructor
of the year
● SAVMA Instructor of the year (2017) – nominee
● SAVMA Instructor of the year (2016) – nominee
● Veterinarian of the Year (2015), Wisconsin Veterinary Technician Association
Fellowships & Scholarly Recognition
● Scholar (2026), Universities of Wisconsin Teaching Fellows and Scholars Program (WTFS)
● Fellow (2025), University of Wisconsin Teaching Academy
● Fellow (2025), Center for Teaching, Learning & Mentoring (CTLM), University of Wisconsin-
Madison
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.”