Tell us why you became a teacher

I had to work extremely hard in college and I had professors who really cared and helped me succeed. I wanted to provide empathy and support to students who also struggle to do well.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

When I was a graduate school instructor, I taught two classes with 350 people each. One day, a pickup truck of young male students drove by and one of my students was in the bed of the truck. The next class session, I told him that he should be more careful and I hoped he wouldn't injure himself. Approximately 10 years later, I received an email from that student telling me how impactful it was to him that out of 350 students, I remembered and recognized him--It only takes a little empathy.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I am currently conducting research at my institution on the interactions amongst periodontal disease, bacteria in the mouth and gut and thyroid gland dysfunction. Periodontal disease is the most common cause of tooth loss worldwide. I would use the $25,000 to purchase more mice and the supplies needed to mentor more students to conduct more experiments in this area.