Kara D.

Kara's Bio & Tutoring Experience

I completed the Urban Teacher Preparation Program at Yale University, and possess teaching certifications in math and science (grades 7-12 in Connecticut; in process of transferring to Oregon). My formal education is complemented with two years of high school math classroom teaching and two years of assistant teaching at the university level. In addition, I possess over 10 years of informal teaching experience including positions as a: computer teacher, science tutor, and classroom volunteer.

From my first jobs as a lifeguard and camp counselor, I have always enjoyed teaching and mentoring. After receiving my bachelor’s degree, I taught mathematics (Algebra II, Trigonometry, and Pre-Calculus) and lead outdoors trips at a high school that focuses on experiential, integrated education, and an appreciation of the natural world. This position allowed me to combine my interests in classroom teaching with the environment and outdoor education. My math classes graphed and figured out the slope of rivers we then paddled down; searched for fractals, phi and Fibonacci’s numbers in nature and everyday life; and measured tree dimensions with trigonometric functions.

My time teaching at the Outdoor Academy opened my eyes to a type of educating and learning that I, and most students, never experienced in traditional schooling. I want to teach broadly within and across the disciplines of science, mathematics, engineering, policy, and management. To revive interest in these subjects, particularly among underrepresented groups, I believe it is necessary to go beyond textbooks and classroom walls, and to move from theory to application, by encouraging students to ask and answer their own “real-world” questions.

Kara's Expertise

Kara's Education & Certifications

My interdisciplinary education and experience in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) makes me well suited to tutor in a variety of subjects. I possess the following degrees:

*PhD in Water Resources Engineering, Oregon State University, 2014.
*Masters in Environmental Management, Yale University, 2008.
*Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering with minors in Environmental Science and Economics, University of Virginia, 2002.

Kara's References