About Me

Scientific curiosity is necessary to inspire the next generation of young scientists. I did not begin to see the possibilities of scientific curiosity until I was 13, and only through a short summer camp. I did not feel very engaged in my science classes until sophomore year of high school, when I found a love for chemistry. Without the encouragement of my scientifically inclined family, I might have lost interest in science long before that chemistry class. As a woman, I hope young girls will be inspired to follow a path similar to mine. While women are 50% of the population, they are significantly underrepresented in STEM fields. I believe that there are many more women out there who might have followed a similar path to mine, had they been given the encouragement and inspiration that I had. Since high school, I have had the opportunity to work in several teaching environments including classroom work, one-on-one tutoring, and group work. In high school, I worked as a teaching assistant in my synagogue’s Hebrew school, where I worked with 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. My senior year of high school, I tutored three home-schooled children in Hebrew, designing all lesson plans, activities, and tests. Between high school and college, I spent a year in Israel, as I knew engineering would make a semester abroad difficult. For three months of my time there, I volunteered in a grade school English class and after-school program for teenage kids in an underprivileged neighborhood. In the grade school, I sat in the class with the children, and helped them follow the lesson plan to enhance their learning experience. In the after-school program, I worked one-on-one with the students, assisting them with their math and English homework. In college, I had two major teaching experiences. My senior year, I worked as a workshop coordinator for freshman chemistry students. The purpose of the workshop was to give students an extra hour of work per week to enhance their understanding of the subject. I also came up with example problems and challenge problems to complement their homework and better prepare them for exams. My senior year I was a TA for a junior level chemical engineering course. The work was similar to the workshop I taught, with the added responsibility of grading. In graduate school, I worked one-on-one with several undergraduate students. I designed a presentation on data analysis to help them understand the best ways to present different types of data. In my 4 years at Penn State, I mentored and trained 7 undergraduate students to help them complete their senior theses and independent studies. For one year, I collaborated with a 4th grade teacher at a nearby elementary school to create and implement an active science curriculum. I designed experiments, activities, and thought exercises for the class to help them better understand scientific concepts of their curriculum. I completed my BS in Chemical Engineering at Cornell University and my PhD in Materials Science and Engineering at Penn State University. I am prepared to tutor students in Math, Science, and Engineering at nearly all levels. I especially enjoy Algebra, Calculus and Chemistry.

Education & Certifications

Q&A with Rona

Tutoring Subjects