Brendan Randall

 

Teaching and Mentorship Philosophy

 

One of the central tenets of a successful career in science is passion. Thanks to amazing teachers and mentors throughout my scientific journey, I owe so much of my progress and belief that I could make science my passion and my career. I strongly believe it is our duty as scientists to foster the next generation's growth and channel their passions to help further their professional and personal goals. As a teacher and mentor, I aim to make science education accessible to diverse audiences through lecture instruction, hands-on learning, and group work. In the field and the lab, I am dedicated to supporting independent research and exploration by encouraging students to follow the questions that inspire them, which can ignite and kickstart their passion in science. I am committed to creating a supportive and inclusive environment. I am specifically dedicated to supporting students in the classroom and in the lab from first-generation university backgrounds who are currently non-STEM majors whose identities intersect with LGBTQ+ backgrounds, which reflect my own experiences and communities. Not all of my students will go on to become tenured research faculty at a research institution, but my ultimate goal is to encourage students from all backgrounds and experiences to appreciate and apply science and ecology in their daily lives, wherever their career takes them! 

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​Teaching Experience

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Fall 2024: Principles of Ecology & Evolution (Lab); primary lab instructor (48 students)

Fall 2023: Insect Pests of Turf & Ornamentals (Lecture and Lab); primary lab instructor (24 students)

Spring 2023: Principles of Ecology & Evolution (Lab); primary lab instructor (24 students)

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Mentorship Experience

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As a graduate student, I have been the primary supervisor and mentor of two undergraduates and have supervised many others at UMD and other universities. It is extremely rewarding to watch and help facilitate their growth as scientists, and I am super proud of them and their achievements!

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Chase Hearn (Summer 2022-Summer 2023): Worked on a single-strain rhizobia project collecting and analyzing data as a summer research intern. Chase continued working in the lab on my project after completing a summer internship. Met weekly and discussed papers they picked relative to his research interests, as well as leading data analysis meetings where we discussed and practiced using data analysis tools such as R. Accepted to an Interdisciplinary Plant Science Ph.D. program at Purdue University, where he started in Spring 2024. Congratulations, Chase!

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Nicole Rieger-Erwin (Summer 2023-present): Awarded the Ernest N. Cory Undergraduate Scholarship ($1,000) for exceptional contributions to research in the Entomology Department. Supervised completion of undergraduate honor's thesis project titled "Effects of rhizobia identity and diversity on soybean trichomes." I met with Nicole weekly to discuss and work through data collection and data analysis, discuss papers she picked out that were focused on her research interests, and assist in helping facilitate and write her undergraduate honors thesis. Nicole plans to defend her thesis in December 2024, and she will be a co-author on a manuscript containing her research that will be prepared soon!​

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