Teaching & Courses

Innovative education that bridges theory and practice in data science and visualization

Teaching Philosophy

My mission as an educator is to create equitable educational opportunities and nurture potential. Central to my approach is shifting focus from the perceived quality of students to the effectiveness of the learning design, ensuring that all students, regardless of their background, can achieve their full potential.

I believe in cultivating caring relationships with students and celebrating the uniqueness of each individual. My role has evolved to not only impart knowledge but also to discover, nurture, and help each student shine in their own way through inclusive learning environments and personalized education.

Courses Taught

DATA 5630: Deep Forecasting (Advanced Time Series Forecasting)

Developed from scratch • Spring 2023

A comprehensive course that combines classical time series models with modern machine learning and deep learning approaches. This unique curriculum bridges traditional statistical forecasting methods with cutting-edge AI applications, providing students with both foundational and advanced forecasting techniques. Initially launched as a special topic, its success led to permanent inclusion in our curriculum.

Key Areas:
  • Time series fundamentals and stationarity analysis
  • Exponential smoothing and ARIMA/SARIMA models
  • Machine learning time series techniques
  • Deep neural networks and sequence modeling (RNN/LSTM)
  • Prophet and NeuralProphet frameworks
  • AutoML tools and production-ready deployment

DATA 5600: Machine Learning

DAIS Department • Ongoing

Foundational course in the Data Analytics track covering fundamental machine learning concepts and algorithms. Emphasizes hands-on learning with real-time coding sessions using platforms like Google Colab, allowing students to immediately apply concepts and receive instant feedback.

Key Areas:
  • Supervised learning algorithms
  • Unsupervised learning techniques
  • Model evaluation and validation
  • Feature engineering and selection
  • Practical machine learning implementation

DATA 5610: Deep Learning

DAIS Department • Ongoing

Advanced course focusing on deep learning architectures and applications. Covers modern neural network techniques from fundamentals to cutting-edge approaches in computer vision and sequence modeling.

Key Areas:
  • Deep Neural Networks (NN and DNN)
  • Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN, R-CNN, YOLO, FCN)
  • Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN, LSTM)
  • Transformers and Attention Mechanisms
  • Deep Computer Vision and Sequence Modeling

USU 1010: University Connections

First-year Experience • Fall 2023

A course designed to help freshmen transition to college life. This experience provides valuable insights into challenges faced by new students and informs my overall teaching approach across all courses.

Teaching Excellence

2024 Teacher of the Year

Honored to receive both the USU Eldon J Gardner Teacher of the Year and Huntsman School Teacher of the Year awards in 2024, recognizing excellence in teaching and commitment to student success.

Watch the Award Ceremony:

View on YouTube

Student Mentorship

Through the Analytics Solutions Center and course projects, I mentor students in applying machine learning to real-world problems, helping them develop both technical skills and professional competencies.

Mentorship Focus:
  • Industry project guidance
  • Career development in data science
  • Research methodology
  • Professional networking

Awards & Recognition

  • 2024: Eldon J. Gardner Teacher of the Year Award (USU)
  • 2023: Teaching Excellence Scholar
  • 2023: ETE Teaching Scholar Certificate
  • 2020: Graduate Mentor of the Year (Economics & Finance)
  • Ongoing: Average 4.8/5.0 "Excellent Teacher" rating

Student Success

My students have secured positions at prestigious organizations:

  • BlackRock NYC (first USU placement)
  • Capital One
  • American Express
  • Tesla
  • Wells Fargo
  • KPMG
  • Zions Bank
  • Koch Industries
  • Flex
  • Many other local companies in Utah

Students often attribute their success to skills and insights gained from my courses.

Teaching Innovations & Resources

AI-Enhanced Learning

  • Virtual teaching assistant using RAG
  • Natural Language Processing for feedback analysis
  • AI-augmented learning tools in curriculum
  • Sentiment analysis for student support

Global Education Reach

  • YouTube channel with 15,000+ subscribers
  • Open-access course materials on GitHub
  • Interactive tutorials and demonstrations
  • Democratizing education at scale

Industry Partnerships

  • Analytics Solutions Center mentorship
  • Real-world projects (Meta, others)
  • CFA Research Challenge (3 consecutive state wins)
  • Alumni network "Stay in touch" Slack (200+ members)