Erik Nordquist

Erik Nordquist

Postdoctoral Research Fellow Alex MacKerell Group University of Maryland, Baltimore

CNS Teaching Fellowship

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The UMass College of Natural Sciences offers a First-year seminar to CNS-declared majors under the broad umbrella “Think like a Scientist”. Graduate students interested in a teaching career are encouraged to apply. Each FYS is unqiue to the person teaching it, which gave me the opportunity to build a (mini) cirriculum and practice some skills I learned abstractly by taking CIRTL online training courses.

My FYS class culminates in a series of classes where we interact with a free online molecular dynamics simulation ‘game’ to build a sense of what’s interesting to the students. Then in the last few weeks I will allow them freedom to build a mini project and present their discoveries to their friends. Perhaps some results will get posted on this site. –update, see how my 1st class ended

Some key take-aways from training:

  • Empathy is a great 1st principle
  • I do not need to be the unfailing authority on everything
  • Young instructors often overprepare; don’t plan every moment of every class
  • Dressing and speaking professionally, asking be to called “professor”, can help give authority

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PhD Dissertation Defense

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I gave my final PhD dissertation defense on Monday, June 5th 2023. This was a very special day, and week, to reflect on the work I’ve done and the progress I’ve made as a scientist, and to share that progress with my family, friends, and the academic community here in Amherst. It’s been a wonderful and challenging expeirence. Read more