CITLS update

Teaching Excellence newsletter featuring Prof. Jenn Rossmann 

In this issue of Teaching Excellence, Professor Rossmann discusses her teaching practices, social responsibility in STEM courses, and her vision as co-director of the Hanson Center for Inclusive STEM Education.

Events in October

Thursday, Oct. 8 – Mental Illness Awareness Week. Register for either or both of the following:

• 12:15-1:15 p.m.: Inclusive Teaching & Excellence: Supporting Our Students’ Mental Health Through COVID-19 and Beyond – This is a challenging time for higher education, with mental well-being already of increasing concern for our students pre-COVID-19. The impacts of social isolation, sickness and death, and other disruptions caused by COVID-19 necessitate conversations and recommendations around supporting students’ mental health. A panel consisting of a guest expert on mental health, the Counseling Center, a student, and a faculty member will discuss these important issues with the community.

• 4:15-5:15 p.m:  Examining Motivated Behavior and the Neurobiological Basis of Anxiety and Depression: Research Talk & Q&A with Yale Neuroscientist Dr. Nii Addy – To learn more about current scientific research findings related to mental health, students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend a research talk led by scholar, mentor, and mental health advocate Nii Addy from Yale University on the basic science of anxiety and depression.

Wednesday, Oct. 14 – Preparing for the Upcoming Election: Respectful Dialogue

• Noon–1 p.m.: This session will involve preemptively discussing supportive strategies such as giving students space to process their emotions about the election outcomes and facilitating respectful dialogue in the classroom regardless of the students’ or professor’s political affiliations or the outcomes of the election. Register here!