Mentors

Gurleen Bal is a physics education researcher. Her VERSA project aims to analyze and iteratively refine a research-based curriculum and peer mentoring program designed to support first-quarter physics majors by emphasizing student strengths rather than deficits. The goal of the mentorship activities is to foster belonging, identity, and self-efficacy while providing students with valuable academic and career strategies. 

Saharnaz Baghdadchi conducts research on engineering education. Her VERSA project explores how participation in a "mind map" assignment influences electrical engineering students' learning strategies and course performance. The study examines whether engaging in mind mapping throughout the term helps students develop stronger cognitive and metacognitive learning strategies and whether these improvements lead to better academic performance. (2 students)

Thomas Bussey studies chemical education. His VERSA project is about how an augmented reality tool helps students learn about the chemistry of biomolecules. 

Nate Delson and Lelli Van Den Einde study engineering education. The VERSA project they are jointly supervising aims to identify the student learning process by studying the 2D and 3D sketches students submit when learning spatial visualization. This will allow instructors to improve personalized feedback and motivate persistence for students using a digital workbook developed at UC San Diego. To learn more about this project see: https://tinyurl.com/VERSA2025  

Bella Maita is a neuroscience education researcher. Her VERSA project explores how academic transparency and uncertainty relate to student academic stress. (2 students)

Claire Meaders studies biology education.  Her VERSA project focuses on identifying reasons why a student may attend office hours once or multiple times during a quarter.

Melinda T. Owens studies biology education research. Her VERSA project focuses on whether and how college STEM faculty act on advice given by teaching and learning centers after their teaching is observed. 

Katie Petrie studies biology education research. Her VERSA project explores what motivates, guides, and challenges instructors who teach about connections between science and society. (2 students)

Mingyu Yang studies biology and chemistry education. His VERSA project is about how biology students visualize and conceptualize chemical principles related to bonding, energy, and ATP.