TEACHING & EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH
MY JOURNEY TO THE TEACHING CAREER
My teaching career formally started at the University of the Philippines, where I served as an instructor (and later, an assistant professor) in the engineering sciences department. I taught courses required for all engineering majors including mechanics, computer programming, and differential equations.
Kaizen (or continuous improvement) is one of the philosophies that I practice in life. In order to become a better and effective teacher, I continuously seek to improve and hone my knowledge and domain expertise. This influenced my decision in 1999 to pursue a Ph.D. degree in Systems and Information Engineering at the University of Virginia. I served as a teaching assistant (TA) for at least four semesters in courses such as differential equations, probability, simulation, and risk analysis. Although the duties of a TA can be labor-intensive and time-consuming, receiving feedback from students who express their appreciation and understanding of the course material is worth the hard work. After I completed my Ph.D. degree, I became more involved with teaching.
My experience with student advising made me appreciate the synergy between teaching and research. Through existing research grants, I am able to provide active mentorship to my graduate students. I also look for available fellowships and work with my students in completing their application packets. Thus far, I have secured fellowship funds for some of my graduate students to augment their educational needs and travel awards to enable them to present at various conferences. Over the years, I have published with my students because I believe that publications are integral to teaching. Publications allow documentation of research results, which can be cited and used by other scholars in formulating new ideas.
The satisfaction derived from teaching comes in a variety of ways and time scales. Within a given semester, teaching quality can be assessed via classroom participation rates, student performance in assignments and tests, and quality of term projects. After each semester, it is particularly satisfying when students express their appreciation and provide useful feedback to enhance future delivery of the course. Furthermore, the years I devoted to student advising have made me experience a lasting and more impactful measure of success -- witnessing how my former students grow successfully in the careers they have pursued. It is also worth mentioning the possibility of building professional partnerships and developing lifelong friendships with former students, which I have personally experienced.
COURSES OFFERED
> EMSE 3815: Requirements Analysis and Elicitation
> EMSE 3850: Quantitative Models in Systems Engineering
> EMSE 6850: Quantitative Models in Systems Engineering
> EMSE 6020: Elements of Problem Solving and Decision Making for Managers
> EMSE 6801: Systems Engineering I
> EMSE 8998: Advanced Reading & Research
> EMSE 8999: Dissertation Research
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