Jordan Balaban, PhD
Comparative Muscle Physiology and Biomechanics
TEACHING
University of California, Irvine
Human Physiology Lab (3 quarters, 4 sections)
For this lab I led once weekly activities demonstrating physiological principles. I held weekly office hours and generated assignments pertaining to each lab. Additionally, I guided the students through the scientific process, helping them to create their own scienctific lab reports, which I then graded.
Functional Human Anatomy Lab (5 quarters, 8 sections)
I led a once weekly lab to help students learn the structures of the human body and their functions. The first time I taught this was the first time it was offered at UC Irvine, and I helped to design the laboratory practicals, and gave feedback to the instructor of record on the course material and lab activities.
University of Rhode Island
During this lab, I led students through dissections of many vertebrates, including a shark, salamander, and cat, to help them see the evolution of form and function across vertebrates. I developed two labs for this course, one on muscle biomechanics, and another on skeletal biomechanics. Additionally, I developed all of the quizzes and practicals the students took.
Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy Lab (Three semesters, 6 sections)
This lab course alternated between the lab and the field. In the lab, I helped students learn the taxonomy of vertebrates, including fish, amphibians, "reptiles", birds, and mammals. On the following week I led the students on a trip to a local nature preserve to catalogue or run experiments on the local wildlife we had studied the week previously. I helped to develop one of these field labs and was in charge of leading two lab sections each week. I also developed taxonomic quizzes and take home assignments to test the students’ knowledge.
Vertebrate Biology Lab (Three semesters, 6 sections)
In this abbreviated course, I led twice weekly labs designed to give hands on experience to the knowledge gained during an introductory biology lecture course. I made and graded weekly quizzes and homeworks.
Introduction to Biology I Lab (Two five week summer sessions, 2 sections)
Vertebrate Biology (Turtle Diversity and Ecology)
Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (Anamniote Cranial Skeleton)
Guest Lecturer, University of Rhode Island, Department of Biological Sciences