CIRTL Postdoc Pathways Program celebrates cohort and faculty mentors
The University of Arizona CIRTL Postdoc Pathways Program recently celebrated a cohort of postdoctoral scholars who successfully completed an intensive one-year teaching professional development program.
The CIRTL Postdoc Pathways Program is an innovative, one-year teaching certificate program designed specifically for postdoctoral scholars interested in teaching as part of their careers. The program, which is housed within the University Center for Assessment, Teaching, and Technology (UCATT) and supported by the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL), combines “just-in-time, just-enough” training in evidence-based teaching with practical, hands-on teaching experience and weekly learning communities.
Since its launch four years ago, 96 postdoctoral scholars from dozens of STEM disciplines have participated in the program and co-taught with faculty across Main Campus and the College of Medicine-Phoenix. It is the only program of its kind on the international CIRTL Network.
Honoring postdocs and faculty mentors
Held on the patio at Cork and Craft, the celebration honored postdocs and their faculty mentors for their dedication to evidence-based teaching, classroom innovation, and professional growth as future faculty members. The event was hosted by UCATT’s CIRTL Institutional Co-Leads Dr. Lisa Elfring, vice provost for teaching and learning, and Dr. Kristin Winet, associate professor of practice.
“When we started out building this program five years ago,” Winet said, “we imagined a program that would help prepare postdocs for their future faculty positions. But what we didn’t expect is that the program would also become a place for postdocs to find community — a community they don’t often have in their labs — and time to explore another side of themselves.”
Many of the participants enter the program with very little to no teaching experience and leave the program with confidence and a lifelong friendship. She shared examples of co-teaching teams that have gone on to present at conferences together, co-author articles, teach future courses, and meet for virtual coffee dates, sometimes long after the postdoc leaves the University of Arizona.
The event concluded with participants receiving their CIRTL certificates and a special 3-D printed CIRTL medallion to recognize their accomplishments. The faculty mentors, all of whom serve in the program voluntarily, were also recognized for their immense contributions to the program, which include many hours of planning, co-teaching, and mentoring.
Honorees | Faculty Mentors and Departments |
| Marjan Aghajani | Elise Barney — College of Medicine – Phoenix Katherine Dahl — College of Medicine – Phoenix Taben Hale — College of Medicine – Phoenix Janet Maurer — College of Medicine – Phoenix |
| Minwoo Ahn | Elizabeth Baldwin — School of Government and Public Policy |
| Kiran Basava | Elizabeth Eadie — Anthropology |
| Bobby Betterton | Todd Vanderah — Pharmacology |
| Maiya Block Ngaybe | Kristin Winet — UCATT |
| Alan Cervantes-Perez | Jesse Woodson — School of Plant Sciences |
| Amber Clements | Joyce Schroeder — Molecular & Cellular Biology |
| Daniel DeFelippis | Erika Hamden — Astronomy |
| Tyler Durkin | Adam Printz — Chemical & Environmental Engineering |
| Varinia Felix | Kerri Hickenbottom — Chemical & Environmental Engineering |
| Khaled Ismail | John Kanady — Physiology |
| Nicole Jimenez | Melisa Celaya — College of Medicine – Phoenix Pamela Garcia-Filion — College of Medicine – Phoenix |
| Curtis Kline | Laurel Bellante — School of Geography |
| Nicole Lorig | Emma Grigg — Animal & Comparative Biomedical Sciences |
| Pintu Kumar Mahla | Elizabeth Baldwin — School of Government and Public Policy |
| Geovana Martin-Alemany | Ken Wilund — School of Nutritional Sciences & Wellness |
| Kristen Martinet | Anna Leach — College of Information Science |
| Soodabeh Namdari | Armin Sorooshian — Chemical & Environmental Engineering |
| Chayan Roychoudhury | Sylvia Sullivan — Chemical & Environmental Engineering |
| Sanchit Sabhlok | Ed Prather — Astronomy David Sand — Astronomy |
| Vivianna Sanchez | Scott Wilbur — Animal & Comparative Biomedical Sciences |
| Pooja Solanke | Michael Taylor — Chemistry & Biochemistry |
| Naghmeh Soltani | Armin Sorooshian — Chemical & Environmental Engineering |
| Kylie Wilson | Mark Jenks — Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies |
| Elke Zeller | Katrina Henry — Environmental Science |
| Weicheng Zhao | John Lockhart — Animal & Comparative Biomedical Sciences |
Recruitment for CIRTL Postdoc Pathways opens every August. All University of Arizona postdoctoral scholars interested in exploring teaching as part of their future careers are encouraged to apply. Participants gain evidence-based teaching training, mentored classroom experience, a teaching portfolio, and a supportive interdisciplinary community of educators.
