My primary goals as an instructor for my courses at UMBC:

• to motivate students by demonstrating the profound impact of statistics on public health research and sharing my research experience and insights
• to engage them through well-tailored examples and well-organized and updated teaching materials, and to help student gain insights on the subject and empower them to implement them in real applications.
• to stimulate their critical thinking by in-class discussions and interaction with their course projects at the individual level.

Efforts for improving overall teaching effectiveness:

• Visual aids and technology-facilitated classrooms: all my lecture notes are electronic. Inspiring video and good online reference materials are posted on online too to faciliate the teaching.
• I use Blackboard exclusively for course materials (syllabi, lecture notes, reference reading, homework and solutions, recorded lecture, et.) in order to facilitate efficient communication and enforce the green environment idea in students.
• Students absorb knowledge the best when the materials are relevant to their lives. So above the textbook content, I engege the students by sharing my research experience, brain teaser questions and in-class discussions, and well-tailored examples.
• Make myself available for their questions and concerns before and after the class at the same day.
• I actively look for ways to improve teaching effectiveness: (1) I have participated teaching workshops and meetings organized by Dr. Linda Hodges at the Faculty Development Center (FDC). And, (2), I seek students’ feedback by talking with them after each class and encouraging them to send feedbacks.

Course List From 2007 to Present:

Twenty regular courses on statistics/ biostatistics that I taught at UMBC (*: newly created or completely re-designed courses) & fifteen special courses (STAT 699, 898, 899) for mentoring graduate students

PhD STUDENTS (Two as Chair/ co-chair + fourteen as thesis committees)

Statistics Ph.D.

• Elande Baro, 2011–present, thesis advisor (co-advised with Dr. Roy). She finished proposal defense in 08/2014.
• Shuyan Zhai, 2010– present, thesis co-advisor (her primary advisor: Dr. Mathew)
• Wenxin Lu, 2013–present, my research assistant
• Mingyu Xi, 2013–present, committee member.
• Trang Pham, 2012–present, academic advisee (leave absent now)
• Andrew Raim, graduated 04/ 2014, committee member.
• Sanatan Saraf, graduated 03/2013, committee member and thesis reviewer
• Mathangi Gopalakrishnan, graduated 12/2012, committee member
• Xiaoyu Dong, graduated 09/2011, committee member and thesis reviewer
• Elizabeth Stanwyck, graduated 12/2011, committee and thesis reviewer
• Martin Klein, graduated 05/2009, committee member
• Joseph D. Warfield, graduated 08/2008, committee member

Ph.D. in Other Disciplines

• Lynn Keimig (Epidemiology and Public Health, Gerontology Division, UMB), current (2011 – present), thesis committee.
• Nancy Chiles (Epidemiology and Public Health, Gerontology Division, UMB), graduated 08/2014, thesis committee (monthly research meeting, 2011-2014)
• Katherine Giuriceo (Epidemiology and Public Health, Gerontology Division, UMB), graduated 06/2011, thesis committee
• Jade N. Wolfman (Psychology), graduated 04/2009, thesis committee

MASTER STUDENTS of Statistics

• Esther Ngan, graduated 05/2014, CAPSTONE Project advisor.
• Ginto Pottackal , 12/2011, CAPSTONE Project advisor (current Ph.D student)
• Shuyan Zhai, 12/2011, CAPSTONE Project advisor (current Ph.D student)
• Xiaosong Zhong, graduated 07/2011, CAPSTONE Project advisor (Current employed by private company as a federal contractor)
• Evelyn Rochelle Frazier, graduated 05/2011, MS thesis committee.
• Airong Yu, graduated 05/2010, CAPSTONE Project advisor (Current employed at Apple Company)
• Jin Sun, graduated 05/2010, CAPSTONE Project advisor (Current employed by Johns Hopkins Medical Institution)
• Chiguang Feng, graduated 12/2009, CAPSTONE Project advisor (Current employed by School of Medicine, University of Maryland)
• Xiaoshu Feng, graduated 05/2009. (Current employed at a pharmaceutical company)
• Nicole Wood, graduated 05/2009, CAPSTONE Project advisor. (Current employed by a research center at Florida)

As a teaching assistant / lab instructor at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health (2001-2006)

• Prepare lab handouts regarding to lab discussion questions, and concepts involved.
• Lead STATA computer lab sessions, and teach the commands related to the course.
• Answer students' questions regarding to homeworks and any course related contents.
• Grade homework with comments.
• Individual consultation and small group discussion, held in form of TA office hour and seperate appointment.