Current Graduate Teaching Consultants

Graduate Teaching Consultants 2024-2025

CODY ABBEY 

Cody is a PhD candidate in the Graduate School of Education. In both his research and pedagogy, he is interested in creating learning environments where students can cultivate qualities of awareness of their thoughts and emotions, non-judgmental acceptance of the present moment, and compassion for oneself and others. He has a secondary school teaching license in World Languages and has experience teaching Mandarin Chinese in the U.S. and English in mainland China. He enjoys meditation and yoga, being out in nature, and spending time with family and friends. 

MPHO MOLEFE (Graduate Teaching Consultant Coordinator)

Mpho Molefe is a Ph.D. candidate in the English Department where she specializes in South African literature. She has acquired teaching experiences that include work as a teaching assistant for undergraduate and graduate courses in Stanford’s English Department; the development and facilitation of interactive humanities seminars (in-person and online) for international and American high school students; curriculum-based SAT preparation courses in Taiwan; and online English tutoring with elementary school students. As an educator and graduate teaching consultant, Mpho consistently explores inclusive and learner-centered pedagogical practices. In implementing these practices, she hopes that her students become more resilient, developing greater reflexivity towards themselves as learners and a firm conviction in their ability to grow.  

RACHEL HERMANSON 

Rachel is a PhD candidate in the Chemical Engineering Department. Prior to starting at Stanford, she received BS and MS degrees in chemical engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Her research interests are in the field of thermal heterogeneous catalysis where she is working to make industrial catalytic processes more sustainable. She found her passion for teaching during her time in higher education through working as a TA in a variety of class types: from traditional classrooms to lab courses and capstone projects. She is passionate about applying research-based teaching techniques to STEM education and improving learning outcomes for STEM students.

CATIE CONNOLLY

Catie is a PhD candidate in Developmental and Psychological Sciences at the Graduate School of Education studying the teaching and acquisition of social-emotional skills in early childhood among socioeconomically and culturally diverse children. She has taught at Stanford and Columbia University on topics ranging from introductory psychology to developmental science to the philosophy of justice in the Western canon. She is always more than happy to talk about her love of the East Coast and New England, Russian literature, 70s and 80s music, and working in cozy libraries and coffee shops. 

ALEXIA AINSWORTH

Alexia Mandla Ainsworth is a PhD student in English. Her work centers on the reception of theatre in literature. As a student, she was lucky to have a broad spectrum of educational opportunities, from homeschooling and public high school classes to community college courses and undergraduate studies at a private liberal arts college. As a result, she is committed to learner-centered pedagogy that emphasizes the unique backgrounds and goals individual students bring to their classroom communities. Alexia has worked for elementary school, middle school, high school, and college students both in-person and online. She is committed to equity initiatives serving nontraditional and transfer students, as well as students from underrepresented backgrounds. Outside of teaching and research, Alexia also enjoys baking and discovering new outdoor study spaces at Stanford.

ELENA VASILACHE

Elena Vasilache is a graduate student in the Humanities Department at Stanford University. Her first experience with teaching and tutoring came as an undergraduate student in Europe. Elena has earned the Associate level of the CIRTL@Stanford Teaching Certificate and is working towards her Practitioner certification. Beyond academia, she enjoys writing and editing for the Stanford Daily.  

CALLAN MONETTE

Callan Monette is a PhD candidate in the Bioengineering department. She is from Virginia, where she attended the College of William & Mary and earned her BS in Computational & Applied Mathematics and Statistics (with a focus in mathematical biology). Now, her PhD research focuses on the development of 3D tissue engineered models for high-throughput cancer drug discovery. Callan has 4 years of TA and teaching experience, having TA-ed a diverse set of lab, lecture, and seminar-style courses in biology, mathematics, and engineering. She is passionate about building inclusive communities within STEM fields, and believes that equitable teaching, mentorship and communication practices are critical to any STEM career. At Stanford, with the support of the CTL’s Leadership in Inclusive Teaching (LIT) Fellowship, Callan co-developed and co-instructed a new course, BIOE 296: Promoting Effective and Equitable Teaching in Bioengineering, which provides graduate students with the opportunity to learn and practice inclusive teaching and communication strategies.

JAMES ZWIERZYNSKI 

James Zwierzynski is a PhD candidate in the Biology Department. His research focuses on blood vessel development in the placenta and uterus throughout pregnancy. James is from rural Indiana and received a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Notre Dame, after which he worked as a Research Analyst at Indiana University School of Medicine. While working at IU, James served as a head TA in the Departments of Chemistry and Biology, and he has continued to foster his love of teaching at Stanford. Outside of his research, James is a ceramicist, loves reading books, and spoiling his pets.  

MARIA NGUYEN (Graduate Teaching Consultant Coordinator)

Maria Nguyen is a PhD candidate in Cell, Molecular, and Organismal Biology. Their current research dives into understanding the function of proteins important for the evolution of complex organisms. Prior to graduate school, they found their love for teaching and education through a multitude of teaching experiences, which included creating tutoring programs and courses to serve historically under-represented communities, increasing diversity and inclusion in the sciences, and teaching fifth-grade students at an underserved elementary school in Chicago. Outside of research, Maria enjoys reading, writing, painting, eating delicious desserts, and spending time outdoors with their close friends and rescue doggo, Bear.

JULIA COSTACURTA 

Julia is a PhD candidate in the Electrical Engineering department, where she studies statistical models for use in neuroscience. She fell in love with teaching while serving as a Calculus III TA as an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins University, and has since taught courses and workshops on topics including linear algebra, 20th-century classical music, Python programming, and rock climbing. In her free time, she enjoys drinking bubble tea and sewing her own clothes.

PAULA GAITHER

Paula Gaither is PhD candidate in the Classics department and Stanford Archaeology Center, specializing in Roman archaeology with a PhD minor in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity. Her research examines representations of Aethiopians in ancient Roman art collections through the lens of the modern museum. In addition to her art historical work, Paula excavates as a trench supervisor at the Tharros Archaeological Research Project at Tharros, Sardinia where the project seeks to understand how cities develop under the influence of the Roman Empire. She has taught various disciplines including art history and archaeology, language, archaeological excavation, and writing skills. Originally from Los Angeles, Paula spends significant time between California and the UK. In her free time, she enjoys walking, spending time in nature, and dancing.

WEAVERLY LEE

Weaverly is a PhD candidate in the Biology Department. For her thesis project, she is investigating novel therapeutic strategies for brain tumors. Weaverly obtained her B.S. in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from the University of the Philippines, after which, she worked as a research assistant at the University College London. Weaverly has served as a TA for the Biology department and won the 2022 Norman K. Wessells award and 2023 Centennial Teaching Assistant award. Outside the lab, Weaverly is an avid scuba diver and volunteers at the California Academy of Sciences.