Mentoring & Outreach

Mentorship

I owe a large part of my success to the dedicated teachers and mentors who guided me throughout my academic journey. They demonstrated that one can excel as both a committed teacher and a pioneering researcher. Here are the core elements of my mentoring philosophy.

1. Balance Generalization and Specialization: I believe a successful education should balance broad, foundational knowledge with the opportunity for specialized, student-driven exploration. I tailor my mentorship style to each trainee’s background to best support their success.
2. Emphasize Learning Skills: I prioritize teaching students how to acquire knowledge independently, aiming to help them find the learning strategies that work best for them.
3. Going Behind the Scenes: Curiosity is natural, but learning can still be challenging, requiring motivation and effort. I believe in fostering student engagement by contextualizing scientific concepts within stories that highlight both the knowledge itself and the human endeavor behind it.
4. The Importance of Feedback: Effective teaching and mentoring depends on trainees’ progress and understanding, thus I am committed to ongoing improvement through feedback.

Outreach

I participate in a public program at Whitehead institute that connects researchers with high school teachers around Boston. I meet monthly with teachers, attend seminars together, and help them integrate newest scientific advances into their curricula to inspire students.

Community

I co-founded the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) group at Whitehead Institute in 2023. Our missions are to:

1. Connect diverse Asian, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders.
2. Promote the history and culture of various Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities.
3. Advocate for issues relating to the Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander experience.
4. Provide resources to the members of the community on cultural events relating to various Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities.
5. Support small, local Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and businesses.

With the support of the Whitehead Institute, we organize monthly within-group or institute-wide events.