Managing the Growing Classroom: Opportunities for Postdoctoral Teaching Fellows

Increasing undergraduate class sizes place high demands on professors in the field of nutrition. Postdoctoral teaching fellows can absorb some of the teaching workload and elevate the quality of undergraduate education. These positions are mutually beneficial to professors, undergraduate and graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars. Teaching fellows advance undergraduate learning by promoting evidence-based teaching practices, as well as innovative and engaging learning activities. Further, undergraduates gain the opportunity to interact with an additional doctoral-level scientist in the field of nutrition. Graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants benefit from direct mentoring from both professors and postdoctoral teaching fellows. This mentorship can enhance the larger teaching and learning environment to improve the educational experience in courses across the department. The teaching-oriented fellowship provides postdoctoral scholars with experiential training in effective undergraduate educa...