SUMMER TEACHING APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM (STAP)

Applications for the 2025 Summer Teaching Apprenticeship Program (STAP) are open from March 17th through April 18th.

Offered by the Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation (DTEI) and Summer Session, this program offers a unique opportunity for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to receive teaching training, practice, and mentorship prior to and while teaching a summer course as Instructor of Record for the first time. Additionally, Faculty Mentors will receive a research/travel account allocation for their participation.

Graduate students and postdocs teaching for the first time as Instructor of Record during Summer Session 2025 and faculty interested in mentorship are encouraged to apply.

Program Goals

Mentorship & Professional Growth

Foster meaningful mentorship between first-time instructors and Faculty Mentors to support teaching and professional development.

Practical and Applied Training

Provide hands-on training and resources from DTEI staff, Faculty Mentors, and experienced graduate student and postdoctoral instructors to address the unique needs of first-time instructors teaching during Summer Session.

Community & Peer Engagement

Cultivate a supportive learning community among graduate student and postdoc instructors to share experiences, troubleshoot challenges, and celebrate successes.

STAP Scholar Overview

Beginning in early Spring Quarter, DTEI will pair graduate student and postdoc STAP Scholars with a Faculty Mentor with instructional and disciplinary expertise to support them as they prepare for and lead Summer Session courses.

The program will conclude with a celebration ceremony where Scholars who completed all the program requirements will receive a Certificate in Summer Teaching Excellence.

STAP Scholars Expectations

Attend the STAP Welcome Session in early Spring and the Closing Session in early Fall.
Complete an approximately 10-hour asynchronous training through Canvas during Spring Quarter to help them prepare their curriculum. This includes topics such as designing student learning outcomes, creating assessments, and crafting course policies. This culminates with submitting a draft of their syllabus and Canvas course space.
Meet with their Faculty Mentor at least once before, during, and after Summer Session instruction, though we invite them to meet more frequently, as needed.
Have their teaching observed by their Faculty Mentor and discuss feedback.
Collect and formative course feedback from students and write a teaching reflection based on it.
Participate in learning community meetings led by DTEI staff during the Spring Quarter and Summer Session. This will conclude with a celebration where Scholars who have completed all of the program requirements will receive a certificate of completion.

Note: STAP Scholars do not need to identify a Faculty Mentor prior to applying.

STAP Scholars Requirements

Must be a first-time graduate student or postdoctoral Instructor of Record assigned to teach a UCI course during Summer Session (either 5 or 10wk models)

Faculty Mentor Overview

Faculty Mentors will be assigned to support up to three STAP Scholars as they prepare for and lead Summer Session instruction. This includes guidance with course design and development (e.g., selecting curriculum, developing in-class activities, and creating assessments), as well as practical advice and feedback (e.g., facilitating discussions, navigating challenges).

Faculty Mentors will receive a $2,000 research/travel account allocation and a Certificate in Summer Teaching Excellence for their participation. For more information, visit our Faculty Mentor FAQ page.

Faculty Mentor Expectations

Attend the STAP Welcome Session in early Spring and the Closing Session in early Fall.
Meet with each of their STAP Scholars at least once before, during, and after Summer Session instruction, though we invite them to meet more frequently, as needed. These meetings can be individual or group sessions. During these meetings, Scholars may wish to discuss the following topics with their Faculty Mentors: drafting a syllabus, identifying course goals, writing student learning outcomes, pacing and scheduling, selecting course readings and materials, developing assessments, and/or creating in-class activities.
Hold weekly office hours (in-office or virtually).
Observe each of their STAP Scholars teach and provide feedback regarding instruction (e.g., pacing, student engagement, in-class activities). DTEI will provide structured observation forms to support this process.
(Optional) Provide STAP Scholars the opportunity to observe their own teaching if possible.

Faculty Mentor Requirement

Must be a faculty member or lecturer with a research/travel account to receive the allocation.

“What If I’m Not a First-Time Instructor and Want Support?”

Although STAP has shifted its focus to first-time instructors, we remain dedicated to supporting instructors of all experience levels as they prepare for and lead Summer Session courses. Below are some DTEI resources and opportunities to help you out:

Resources to help build your course

STAP Canvas Training Course: This Canvas space offers five self-paced learning modules on course design and instructional skills, interactive discussions boards for peer support, and a curated collection of key resources on syllabus development, pedagogical wellness, AI policies, and addressing challenging classroom conversations.
The DTEI Syllabus Template: A set of templates for creating student-centered syllabi with guidelines specifying both mandatory and recommended sections.
Canvas Design Samples: A set of Canvas templates to help instructors build their course spaces efficiently.

Resources to help you lead your course

Summer Session Teaching & Learning Community Meetings: A series of informal opportunities throughout summer for instructors to engage in community, troubleshoot challenges, and share successes. You’re warmly invited to join us at 1:00 PM in AIRB 1030 or on Zoom on the following dates: July 2nd (RSVP here), July 16th (RSVP here), August 13th (RSVP here), and August 27th (RSVP here)
General Teaching Practices: A list of effective teaching strategies and materials.
Generative AI for Teaching and Learning: A set of guidelines, recommendations, and resources for considering how to approach generative AI in your learning space.
Facilitating Difficult Discussions and Maintaining Pedagogical Wellness: A guide for how to navigate discussions surrounding difficult course content and current events.

Faculty Mentor

Ana Garcia Vedrenne (she/her/hers)

Department: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

What’s most rewarding to you about being a mentor?

Being part of a community of people that like to engage with others and share what they are passionate about.

Fun fact about yourself or hobby outside academia:

I recently started tap dance classes! I’d been wanting to learn since I was a teenager.

Boba Pelayo (he/him)

Department: Mathematics

What’s most rewarding to you about being a mentor?

Helping to turn the excitement of new instructors into effective teaching practice.

Fun fact about yourself or hobby outside academia:

I’ve been a vegetarian since college.

Eraldo Souza dos Santos (they)

Department: Criminology, Law and Society

What’s most rewarding to you about being a mentor?

Learning from my mentees.

Fun fact about yourself or hobby outside academia:

I practice artistic gymnastics.

Kristin Turney (she/her/hers)

Department: Sociology

What’s most rewarding to you about being a mentor?

Thinking through creative and effective ways to communicate information.

Fun fact about yourself or hobby outside academia:

I love running and have recently added a new type of running to my routine: running after my “dynamic” and “adventurous” 1-year-old son.

Neerja Aggarwal (she/her/hers)

Department: Economics

What’s most rewarding to you about being a mentor?

Helping the scholars grow in teaching, and learning from them.

Fun fact about yourself or hobby outside academia:

I like gardening and walking.

Ted Gideonse (he/him/his)

Department: School of Population & Public Health / Dept. of Health, Society & Behavior

What’s most rewarding to you about being a mentor?

Developing long term relationships with teaching-focused junior scholars; I start out helping them, and then they help me.

Fun fact about yourself or hobby outside academia:

After 27 years with a beard, I shaved everything but the mustache a month ago.

STAP Scholars

Amy Gilmore (she/her)

Department: Political Science

Summer Session Course: INTL ST 14. Introduction to International Relations.

What aspect of your course or teaching this summer are you most excited about?

I’m looking forward to the smaller summer class sizes and getting to hear more from each student!

Fun fact about yourself or hobby outside academia:

I have two dogs, and we love to hike and run agility together!

Angeles Rubi Castorena (she/her/ella)

Department: Sociology

Summer Session Course: SOCIOL 1. Introduction to Sociology.

What aspect of your course or teaching this summer are you most excited about?

Having the autonomy to design my own syllabus and working alongside an instructional team.

Fun fact about yourself or hobby outside academia:

Hiking / Running with my dogs.

Christine Nguyen (she/her)

Department: Public Health

Summer Session Course: PUBHLTH 1. Principles of Public Health.

What aspect of your course or teaching this summer are you most excited about?

I’m excited to engage with students, introduce foundational concepts, and help them connect what they’re learning to real-world issues and current events. I hope these connections make the material more meaningful and spark lasting interest in public health.

Fun fact about yourself or hobby outside academia:

I am obsessed with indoor cycling!

Ellen Shi

Department: Logic and Philosophy of Science

Summer Session Course: LPS 30. Introduction to Symbolic Logic.

What aspect of your course or teaching this summer are you most excited about?

I have TA-ed for this class five times and I am excited to organize and deliver the materials based on my experience from previous interactions with students.

Fun fact about yourself or hobby outside academia:

I have been enjoying taking undergraduate classes at UCI that are not related to my research but fulfil my curiosity.

Emani Hicks (she/her)

Department: Informatics

Summer Session Course: IN4MATX 131. Human Computer Interaction.

What aspect of your course or teaching this summer are you most excited about?

I’m excited about engaging with students and seeing how they evolve during the summer. More specifically, I hope that through this course, their interest in the topic of Human-Computer Interaction grows.

Fun fact about yourself or hobby outside academia:

I enjoy cooking and have recently gotten into running.

Helena Garcia Escudero (she/her)

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Summer Session Course: PHYSICS 3B. Basic Physics II.

What aspect of your course or teaching this summer are you most excited about?

One aspect I’m most excited about is creating an engaging and supportive classroom environment where students feel comfortable asking questions and actively participating.

Fun fact about yourself or hobby outside academia:

I love running and doing outdoor activities such as biking and hiking with friends

Iris Morrell (she/her)

Department: Comparative Literature

Summer Session Course: COM LIT 10. Topics in World Literature.

What aspect of your course or teaching this summer are you most excited about?

I’m excited to introduce students to these texts that have been so foundational for me and helped me understand my own life and the world.

Fun fact about yourself or hobby outside academia:

I love to paint and draw, recently I’ve been depicting horses!

Izzie Catanzaro

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Summer Session Course: PHYSICS 7LC. Classical Physics Laboratory.

What aspect of your course or teaching this summer are you most excited about?

I would like to learn how to engage students more effectively that have different levels of academic math preparation. Additionally, I would like to learn how to best support TAs from the administration end.

Fun fact about yourself or hobby outside academia:

I am an avid gardener.

Jaaziel Lopez de la Luz

Department: Mathematics

Summer Session Course: MATH 5B. Calculus for Life Sciences II.

What aspect of your course or teaching this summer are you most excited about?

I’m looking forward to redesigning the course to make the material applicable and relevant to biology students.

Fun fact about yourself or hobby outside academia:

I love skateboarding, hiking, gymming, all arts, learning languages, and vibing to music.

Jes Torres Behravesh (she/her)

Department: Urban Planning & Public Policy

Summer Session Course: SE 10. Research Design.

What aspect of your course or teaching this summer are you most excited about?

Learning how to best support online student learning outcomes and engagement through syllabus and class curation.

Fun fact about yourself or hobby outside academia:

I really like yoga and my 2-year-old.

Julia Lenhardt (she/her)

Department: Earth System Science

Summer Session Course: EARTHSS 15. Introduction to Global Climate Change.

What aspect of your course or teaching this summer are you most excited about?

I’m looking forward to teaching something I’m passionate about.

Fun fact about yourself or hobby outside academia:

I’m the lead singer and rhythm guitarist in a band. My husband is the lead guitarist; it’s how we met!

Loraine Sandoval Ascencio (she/her)

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Summer Session Course: PHYSICS 20A. Introduction to Astronomy.

What aspect of your course or teaching this summer are you most excited about?

I’m excited to meet new students and show them how cool astronomy is!

Fun fact about yourself or hobby outside academia:

I enjoy going to the beach and running.

Manuel Eduardo Segura (he/him)

Department: Computer Science

Summer Session Course: COMPSCI 147. Internet of Things (IoT) Software and Systems.

What aspect of your course or teaching this summer are you most excited about?

I’m excited to plan and execute my very first class. I want to put my own spin on the class curriculum and update it for current topics.

Fun fact about yourself or hobby outside academia:

I enjoy building sci-fi model kits, like Gundam/Gunpla.

Shade Avery Kirjava (they/them)

Department: Health, Society, and Behavior

Summer Session Course: PUBHLTH 122. Health Policy.

What aspect of your course or teaching this summer are you most excited about?

Demystifying policy and policymaking.

Fun fact about yourself or hobby outside academia:

I make stained glass art.

Vivian Yuen (she/her)

Department: Chemistry

Summer Session Course: Chemistry 1A. General Chemistry.

What aspect of your course or teaching this summer are you most excited about?

I am so excited to make a course I’ve been TAing for a while my own and implement my ideas I’ve built over my 4 years in college and 3 years in my Ph.D. program!

Fun fact about yourself or hobby outside academia:

I love live music, swimming, and running!

Weijie Xu (he/him)

Department: Language Science

Summer Session Course: LSCI 2. Discovering Language.

Yunlong Cao (he/him)

Department: Philosophy

Summer Session Course: PHILOS 3. Technology and Society.

Have Questions?

For questions, please contact DTEI’s Program Coordinator, Thao Nguyen (thaomn1@uci.edu).