Teaching

Teaching Statement:

My teaching approach is one of thorough preparation, student participation, and individual mentoring. I set high expectations . All courses emphasize the understanding of fundamental principles and their assumptions: for most equations, mathematical derivations and proofs are provided. The emphasis is on the understanding of concepts, theorems, and approaches --- their underlying assumptions and limitations, rather than the memorization of "formulas" and routine applications. For homework and projects, depending on the level of complexity, students either solve problems by hand, work with Excel, write computer codes (typically Matlab), or use software. For complex projects, students are occasionally encouraged to work in groups. For each course, I write and assemble a full set of lecture notes. Before a class, the notes are posted on Wyocourse so students get a heads-up of what is to come (no derivations are provided in the notes so class attendance and participation is key to doing well). The Powerpoint is posted after the class.

Grading policy:

grading policy for all classes and for all students in a class. Student comments range from "she is a harsh and uneven grader" (most negative), to "rigid grading structure hones the students' abilities to be competitive in the workplace and in future classes" (moderately positive), to "she is always fair" (most positive). I've noticed that in my classes, the grades students earn often fall short of what they expect. I've also noticed that there can be large differences in how professors grade. For example, a student who regularly earned "Cs" in my class got 90+ in a similar class at the same level offered by another professor. Given this difference, no wonder there are complaints! However, as a professor, I set the grading policy. It is fruitless to engage me in debates on why a different standard should be used. Please consider carefully before signing up. Below is my view on grading:

1) I hold students to a higher standard: effort alone may not translate to good grades (see below Grading Policy for Geohydrology).
2) I do not believe in grade inflation. It devaluates education and hurts the credibility of the academic program.
3) Come see me (or TA) if there is a mistake in the assigned grade.

Courses:*

(1) Geohydrology (GEOL 4444/5444), Fall 2015, GEOL 4444/5444 Syllabus PDF, GEOL 4444/5444 Course Notes PDF (Chp1) This class** is offered every Fall semester. (Spring 2013) GEOL 4444/5444 Student evaluation PDF . Grading policy: [PDF].

(2) Groundwater Flow & Transport Modeling (GEOL 5030/4030), Spring 2016, GEOL 5030/4030 Syllabus PDF, GEOL 5030/4030 Course Notes PDF (Chp1, 2 & 3) (S/U or A/F grading). Student evaluation (Spring, 2016) Student evaluation (Spring, 2016) PDF. This class is offered every other Spring semester.

(3) Introduction to Geostatistics (GEOL 5446), Spring 2019, GEOL 5446 Syllabus PDF. GEOL 5446 Course Notes PDF (Chp1 & 2). Student evaluation (Fall, 2013) PDF. This class is offered every other Spring semester.

(4) Classical Papers in Groundwater Hydrology (GEOL 5210), Fall 2008, GEOL 5210 syllabus GEOL 5210 syllabus PDF.

*Graduate students must register in the 5000-level or above to get the graduate course credits. For Geohydrology, please take GEOL 5444; for the Modeling class, please take GEOL 5030.

**It is a useful topic if student is interested in taking the Professional Geologist (PG) Licensing Exam administered nationwide in the US and Canada. From past exams, 10 to 20 percent of an exam is related to hydrology.