Alexandra Pope

Ph.D., University of British Columbia, 2007

• Galaxy formation and evolution

• Cosmic history of dust-obscured star formation

• Co-evolution of stars and supermassive black holes

• Interstellar medium conditions at high redshift

• Distant galaxy clusters and protoclusters

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” – William Arthur Ward

While an academic education prepares us to tell and explain our discipline, the ability to effectively demonstrate and inspire our students comes with practice and dedication to learning and implementing new techniques aimed at engaging our diverse student population. In my teaching, I aim to employ active-learning teaching methods and open educational material proven to support and enhance the education of all students. I continue to experiment with these interactive techniques in my classes and make modifications as necessary. I have taught the following courses at UMass: Astronomy 100, Astronomy 191A, Astronomy 330, Astronomy 452H, Astronomy 650, and Astronomy 792A.

I consider my role as an advisor and mentor to be one of the most important aspects of my job. My mentoring strategy depends on the individual needs of students and is focused both on science progress and professional development. My goal is to support and challenge students as they gain independence in their projects and confidence in their expertise.