CETLI's Graduate Fellowship for Teaching Excellence program honors graduate students who are dedicated to excellent teaching and is designed to foster conversations about teaching to help graduate students develop as teachers. Graduate fellows facilitate teaching workshops in their departments and across the university, observe graduate students teaching and offer feedback, and meet regularly as a fellows group to discuss teaching practices.
Candidates for this fellowship must be nominated by their department; the call for nominations goes out to graduate chairs in the spring semester. For more information about the Graduate Fellows Program, contact Ian Petrie.
Current Graduate Fellows for Teaching Excellence
Nicole Adrian
History
Nicole Adrian is a fifth-year doctoral candidate in the history department. She is studying U.S. twentieth century political economy with a focus on agriculture and the rural environment. Her dissertation focuses on how federal U.S. agricultural credit programs and farm debt shaped inequality, land ownership, the cooperative financial movement, and environmental degradation during the twentieth century. Nicole is committed to creating inclusive, student-driven learning environments where knowledge emerges via collaborative discovery by empowering students to be active participants in their learning process.
Gulzhan Aldan Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics
Gulzhan Aldan is a fifth-year Ph.D. student in the Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics department. Her research focuses on architected thin films for lightweight space structures. She is from Karaganda, Kazakhstan and obtained her undergraduate degree in Building Environment and Energy Engineering from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2022. Gulzhan enjoys teaching because it lets her connect with students and deepen her own understanding of the material. She believes that, no matter the starting point, anything can be learned if it is explained in a simple and direct way.
Katrina Bazemor
Epidemiology
Katrina Bazemore (she/her) is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics. Her dissertation research focuses on the measurement of genetic susceptibility to Alzheimer’s disease and on exploring potential synergistic effects of air pollution exposure and genetic susceptibility on dementia risk. She holds a bachelor’s degree in genetics from the University of Georgia and a Master of Public Health from Thomas Jefferson University. Katrina has served in various teaching and mentorship roles and is committed to helping students engage with challenging concepts and develop the confidence and skills to apply their knowledge independently.
Quynh-Giang Dang
Linguistics
Giang Dang is a third-year linguistics Ph.D. Student from Vietnam. She is broadly interested in language (education) policy, the syntax of understudied languages, and postcolonial studies. Her recent research in linguistics examines language contact with English in Vietnam, Vietnam’s language education policy, and Vietnamese syntax in the context of East/Southeast Asia. Giang finds immense joy in spreading linguistic knowledge in the world.
Luca Garzino Demo
Philosophy
Luca Garzino Demo is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in philosophy, where he’s also completing an M.A. in statistics and data science. His research asks which institutional arrangements make scientific groups reliable knowers, and how we might redesign those arrangements so scientists can do better. In his dissertation, he’s concerned with how scientific monopolies stifle the advancement of science, and with how much scientists actually rely on interpersonal trust even though our social arrangements try to sweep it under the rug. He brings the same instinct to the classroom. Good teaching, like good group inquiry, succeeds by creating the right conditions for people to think together and surprise themselves.
Peter Ishola
Biology
Peter Ishola is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Biology at the University of Pennsylvania. Originally from Nigeria, his research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying epigenetic regulation in plant development. Peter is deeply passionate about teaching and mentoring, driven by a commitment to supporting students from a wide range of learning backgrounds. Throughout his graduate academic journey, he has volunteered in educational outreach programs aimed at improving the quality of teaching and learning for high school students. He aspires to further develop his pedagogical skills to make high-quality biology knowledge accessible and engaging for all students.
Diana Lalata
Educational Linguistics
Diana Lalata is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Educational Linguistics department at the Graduate School of Education. Her research has focused on antiblackness and linguistic racism in language education policy, as well as imagining cross-racial and cross-linguistic policy frameworks within education. Much of her work is informed by her positionality as a daughter of Filipino immigrants and being raised in East Atlanta, Georgia. She also carries her teaching experiences across different classroom contexts as a public school, English language arts and English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL) teacher in California, Kentucky, and Ohio.
Huy Vo Le
Nursing
Bianca Mers
City & Regional Planning
Bianca Mers is a third-year Ph.D. student in city and regional planning. Her research looks at the intersection of housing, energy, and health and explores how extreme temperatures affect quality of life. She is deeply committed to connecting academia, professional practice, and people’s lived experiences and making research more relevant, accessible, and just. She applies these values to her teaching, where she aims to create curious and inclusive environments that support many different kinds of learning and knowledge.
Ana María Núñez
Classical Studies
Ana María Núñez is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. She earned her B.A. in Classics from Washington University in St. Louis in 2024, and her undergraduate thesis explored the creation of Spartan identity in Spartan ambassador speech during the Pylos episode of Book 4 of the History of the Peloponnesian War. Her research interests include the Spartans, Greek historiography, oratory, and the construction of identity (especially in the work of Thucydides). Through her teaching, she aims to find the balance between the closeness and remoteness of the ancient mediterranean world with language, culture, and history.
Lilly Ryll
Neuroscience
Lilly Ryll is a sixth-year Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania who is dedicated to fostering active, inclusive, and evidence-based learning in STEM education. Her teaching is informed by her experience mentoring undergraduate researchers, teaching neuroscience to high school and college students, and a philosophy that all students can succeed when provided with clear goals, thoughtful scaffolding, and meaningful opportunities for engagement. Through her work, Lilly aims to empower students to become confident learners while contributing to broader conversations about effective neuroscience education.
Mursal Sidiqi
English
Rachel Jones
Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Rachel Jones is a Ph.D. student in chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on computational materials discovery, using predictive modeling and simulation to understand and design materials with improved activity and stability for energy and catalytic applications. She earned a B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering and a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Connecticut in 2020 before spending two years at Merck & Co., Inc., where she worked on scaling pharmaceutical manufacturing processes from laboratory development through commercial production. Rachel believes that effective teaching, like engineering, requires careful systems-level design. She is passionate about developing learning environments that thoughtfully balance rigor, assessment, and student engagement while remaining flexible enough to evolve alongside new technologies and student needs.
Previous Graduate Fellows for Teaching Excellence
Mengliu Cheng
History
Max Cohen
Physics & Astronomy
J. Geers
Electrical & Systems Engineering
Anastasia Gracheva
Management
Aria Zheyuan Huang
Bioengineering
Emma Kocik
Earth & Environmental Sciences
Anna Linetskaya
Comparative Literature & Literary Theory
Sumaya Malas
Political Science
Lance Murphy
Immunology
Rehana Thembeka Odendaal
Education, Culture & Society, and Sociology
Sandrine Rajaonarivony
French & Francophone Studies
Taylor Smith
Communication
Rhea Swain
History of Art
Amanda Watson
Nursing
Cami Berlin
Chemistry
Tess Bernhard
Education
Krishan Canzius
Mathematics
Julia Cope
Communication
Jonathan Dick
English
VanJessica Gladney
History
Shafagh Keyvanian Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics
Henrique Laurino Dos Santos
Marketing
Ellen Munsterman
Nursing
Tiffany Nguyen
Classical Studies
Qiran Shang
Architecture
Jessica Shi
Computer & Information Science
Rebecca Winkler
Anthropology
Oscar Qiu Jun Zheng
East Asian Languages & Civilizations
Addison Buxton-Martin
Biology
Gregory Campbell
Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics
Lourdes Contreras
Italian Studies
Jaydee Edwards
Earth & Environmental Sciences
Ari Gzesh
Social Policy & Practice
Liz Hallgren
Communication
Kyndall Nicholas
Neuroscience
Aoife O’Farrell
Bioengineering
Artemis Panagopoulou
Computer & Information Science
Cerulean S. Payne-Passmore
Music
Miranda Sklaroff
Political Science
Jeremy Steinberg
Religious Studies
Marcus Tomaino
Economics
Taylor Tomlinson
Chemistry
Stacey Bevan
Nursing
Thomas Brazelton
Mathematics
Deion Dresser
Italian Studies
Elizabeth Dunens
Higher Education
Jesse Hanlan
Physics & Astronomy
Paul He
Computer & Information Science
Bryce Heatherly
East Asian Languages & Civilizations
Tessa Huttenlocher
Sociology
Tyler Leigh
Communication
Chloe Ricks
Political Science
Jeremy Rubin
Biostatistics
Michael Shea
Comparative Literature
Jessica Weakly
Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics
Alexandra Zborovsky
History
Ada Aka
Psychology
Natalia Enid Aponte Borges
Earth & Environmental Science
Lauren Bridges
Communication
Alexis Crockett
Neuroscience
Abigail Dym
Political Science
Taylor Dysart
History & Sociology of Science
Marisa Egan
Cell and Molecular Biology
Sheng Gao
Statistics
Tony Liu
Computer and Information Science
Mercedes Mayna-Medrano
Hispanic Studies
Jane Robbins Mize
English
Paradorn (Joe) Rummaneethorn
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Kimberly White
History
Angela Xia
Religious Studies
Matt DeCross
Physics and Astronomy
Mohammad Fereydounian
Electrical and Systems Engineering
Shivajee Govind
Chemistry
Lauren Harris
Sociology
Antoine Haywood
Communication
Davy Knittle
English
Kristina Lewis
Education
Zachary Loeb
History and Sociology of Science
Theodora Naqvi
Classical Studies
Bruno Saconi
Nursing
Adam Sax
Comparative Literature & Literary Theory
Zachary Smith
Political Science
Daniel Wilde
Management
Tamir Williams
History of Art
Sonia Bansal
Bioengineering
Emilie Benson
Physics
Irteza Binte-Farid
Education
Alexandra Brown
Romance Languages
Rui Castro
Architecture
Joseph Cooke
Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics
McFeely Jackson Goodman
Mathematics
Erynn Johnson
Earth & Environmental Science
Karren Knowlton
Management
Erica Lawrence
Biology
Alexis Rider
History & Sociology of Science
Anna Leigh Todd
History
Rachel Wise
History of Art
Naomi Zucker
Anthropology
Cameron Anglum
Education
Phoebe Askelson
Chemistry
Elizabeth Bynum
Music
Ava Creemers
Linguistics
Dana Cypress
English
Julia Kolchinsky Dasbach
Comparative Literature
Maryam Khojasteh
City and Regional Planning
Alex Miller
Operations, Information and Decisions
Samantha Oliver
Communication
Ryan Pilipow
Ancient History
Katerina Placek
Neuroscience
Brian Reese
Philosophy
Didem Uca
German
Shantee Rosado
Senior Graduate Fellow
Diego Arispe-Bazán
Anthropology
Chelsea Chamberlain
History
Welton Chang
Psychology
Danielle Hanley
Political Science
Kathryn Hasz
Mechanical Enginering & Applied Mechanics
Elaine LaFay
History & Sociology of Science
Mark Lewis
Education
Santiago Paternain
Electrical & Systems Engineering
Steven Renette
Art & Archaeology of the Mediterranean World
Maria Ryan
Music
Hao Jun (Howie) Tam
English
Noa Hegesh
East Asian Languages & Civilizations
Joseph Hoisington
Mathematics
Najnin Islam
English
Erika Kontulainen
German
Theo Lim
City & Regional Planning
Elena Maris
Communication
Paul Mitchell
Anthropology
Stan Najmr
Chemistry
Trishala Parthasarathi
Neuroscience
Rebecca Rivard
Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine
Shantee Rosado
Sociology
Jane Sancinito
Ancient History
SaraEllen Strongman
Africana Studies
Helen Teng
Nursing
Osman Balkan
Political Science
Katie Clonan-Roy
Education
Mitra Eghbal
Biology
Naomi Fitter
Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics
Alison Howard
Comparative Literature
Jin Woo Jang
Mathematics
Dianne Mitchell
English
Jake Morton
Ancient History
Raha Rafii
Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations
Kyle Smith
Chemistry
Tim Sowicz
Nursing
Kelsey Speer
Cell & Molecular Biology, Perelman School of Medicine
Kristian Taketomo
History
Bronwyn Wallace
Senior Graduate Fellow
Justin Bernstein
Philosophy
Ben Chrisinger
City & Regional Planning
Peter Sachs Collopy
History and Sociology of Science
Lili Dworkin
Computer and Information Science
Ian M. Hartshorn
Political Science
Alice Hu
Classical Studies
Jacob Nagy
Chemistry
Emmabeth Parrish
Materials Science and Engineering
Tanya Singh
Biology
Colin Smith
Neuroscience
Phillip Webster
Religious Studies
Vanessa Williams
Music
Richard Eisenberg
Computer and Information Science
Lindsey Fiorelli
Philosophy
Jay Lucci
Classical Studies
Rose Muravchick
Religious Studies
Sal Nicolazzo
Comparative Literature
Rebecca Pierce
Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics
Irene Sibbing Plantholt
Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Bridget Swanson
German
Bronwyn Wallace
English
Tanya Weerakkody
Neuroscience
Eric Bellin
Architecture
Derek Blackwell
Communication
Carolyn Chernoff
Education and Sociology
Wiebke Deimling
Philosophy
Emily Gerstell
English
Bryan Jones
Romance Languages
JR Keller
Management
Matthew Kruer
History
Peter-Michael Osera
Computer and Information Science
Olivia Padovan-Merhar
Physics
Will Schmenner
History of Art
Max Topaz
Nursing
Madeleine Wilcox
East Asian Languages and Civilizations
Ursula Williams
Chemistry
Megan Potteiger
Senior Graduate Fellow
Claire Bourne
English
Rosella Cappella
Political Science
Meghan Crnic
History & Sociology of Science
Daniel DiMassa
German
Jen Gerrish
Classical Studies
Rachel Guberman
History
Beth Hallowell
Anthropology
Grace Lavery
Comparative Literature
Tara Liss-Marino
Communication
Emil Pitkin
Statistics
Melanie Adley
German
Adam Aviv
Computer & Information Science
Carolyn Brunelle
Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations
Andrew Crocco
Communication
Britt Dahlberg
Anthropology
Glenn Holtzman
Music
Catherine Kopil
Neuroscience
Shimul Melwani
Management
Megan Potteiger
Chemistry
Miranda Routh
History of Art
Charles Thomas
Physics
Bryan Cameron
Romance Languages
Barbara Elias
Political Science
Rosemary Frasso
Social Policy & Practice
Jessica Lautin
History
Nathaniel Prottas
History of Art
Amanda Reiterman
Art & Archaeology of the Mediterranean World
Nicole Ruedy
Operations & Information Management
Paul White
Mechanical Engineering
Megan Phifer-Rixey
Senior Graduate Fellow
Drew Hilton
Computer and Information Science
Greta LaFleur
English
Peter Mondelli
Music
Roberto Salguero-Gomez
Biology
Clayton Shonkwiler
Math
Nicole Myers Turner
History
Noah Drezner
Education
Daniela Fera
Chemistry
Sarah Manekin
History
Megan Phifer-Rixey
Biology
Angelina Stelmach
Romance Languages
Brandon Woods
English
Kate Baldanza
East Asian Languages and Civilizations
Andrew Knight
Management
Sarah Manekin
History
Melody Mark
Ancient History
Jennifer Pastore
Biology
Deniz Selman
Economics
Resources
- Overview
- Supporting Your Students
- Teaching that Enables Every Student to Thrive
- Teaching with Technology
- Generative AI & Your Teaching
- Structured Active In-class Learning (SAIL)
- Course Policies & Syllabus Language
- Academic Integrity
- Course Evaluations
- Teaching Online
- Course Roster, Classroom & Calendar Info
- Policies Concerning Student-Faculty Interactions
- For New Faculty

