"Hi, I'm Melanie! I love making science as engaging and interactive as possible. I have 20+ years of experience as a teacher (formerly certified to teach science to grades 6-12) and as a scientist, with a knack for making complex scientific concepts easy to understand.

As a scientist, I know biological sciences inside and out. My graduate work focused on marine chemical ecology (i.e., how do ocean organisms use organic compounds to interact with one another, and can we use these compounds to develop new treatments for human disease?). I have also conducted research on turtle nesting in the Chesapeake Bay and the distribution of intertidal snails in the Gulf of Maine. Alongside marine biology, I bring extensive subject knowledge of genetics, ecology, microbiology, anatomy, biochemistry, invertebrate zoology, evolution, statistics, and more.

I have taught at both the high school and college levels, and have tutored for middle school through college age students. From 2015-2023, I taught microbiology, genetics, ecology, cell biology, invertebrate zoology, evolution, and more to 9th grade magnet program students at Fernbank Science Center. I was awarded Teacher of the Year for the 2021-2022 school year at FSC for excellence in virtual and in-person teaching. Students consistently rated my teaching as engaging, organized, and informative - and it boosted their test scores. For college students, I TA'd general and honors Intro Biology at Georgia Tech, was selected to model teaching strategies for other TA's, and brought up one section's grades by mentoring a struggling TA.

Every student is different, and I enjoying getting to know my students as individuals and developing personalized learning plans based on what works for them. Having completed my teacher certification, I am also trained and experienced in supporting neurodiverse students using a variety of individualized, research-driven strategies.

I look forward to getting to know you and helping you discover the wonders of science!" less...