Rachel

Certified Tutor

I began my Biology education at the University of South Florida, in Tampa, in 2004, as an early admission student, before graduating high school in 2005. I chose a Biology degree based on my lifelong fascination with the amazing animals around me. During my education, I also explored the fields of Anthropology and Chemistry.

I developed a passion for Organic Chemistry and worked in a natural products lab for over a year before switching to an embryology lab for my undergraduate thesis. After graduating with honors, I moved to Pittsburgh to continue my research career at Carnegie Mellon University, as Ph.D. student in Biological Sciences. My doctoral research focused on the cellular and biochemical processes involved in epinephrine signaling regulation. While Cell Biology was the central theme, I also studied Neuroscience and Pharmacology to better understand my work in physiological context.

Throughout my time at Carnegie Mellon, I had the opportunity to teach in the community and practice Science communication skills. This included working as a Teacher's Assistant for university courses, mentoring at educational events for high school students, and seminars in making complex information more approachable. I was fortunate enough to utilize these lessons as a volunteer Teacher at a Peace Corps organized Science camp in August 2014, where I taught environmental systems, Neuroscience and Cardiac Physiology to girls ranging in age from 12 to 19.

As a Tutor I am excited to bring together my knowledge and experiences to help students better understand the Science and Math that has illuminated my world. I try to bring in real world analogies and examples of daily relevance to every lesson. My favorite subjects to teach are general Biology, Cell Biology, Genetics and Evolution but I am happy to stretch and apply my practical knowledge to many other subjects.