Over the semester, I have taken great joy in seeing the development of not only students, but myself, in our discussions of global cinema and horror. When I began the CUTF, my expectation was to lead discussions in horror, specifically for two units: trauma & violence (with the films Smile and Possessor) and taboo sexualities…
Category: Chancellor’s Undergraduate Teaching Fellowship
CUTF 3: Wrapping Up
CUTF has been my first foray into teaching. I have led meetings for clubs and given presentations for classes and fellowships, but I have never before had the opportunity to teach academic content to students. I am preparing to deliver a lecture to Prof. Bahler’s class in just a week and a half, and I…
CUTF Coming to a Close
This semester, I have been faced with a variety of unexpected challenges ranging from health to the grad school selection process. This, along with my direct experience in the classroom, has changed my understanding of teaching overall. The largest evolution in how I view teaching has come in the lesson of how constantly available and…
A State of Suspense
In Contemporary Film with Dr. Heinzl last Spring, I was introduced to Midsommar, a pagan folk horror film directed by Ari Aster. Some 148 minutes later, I sat back in awe with only two thoughts: “So, that’s what the bear was for!”… and “I’ve never seen a film that engaged my imagination quite like this…
CUTF: Getting Involved in Teaching on Campus
Hi, everyone! Welcome to my second post of the semester! I have many friends in the natural sciences who have served as undergraduate TAs before, and it was always something I was interested in doing as well. I did not know what form this could take in the areas of study I am pursuing as…
CUTF 2: Teaching, Learning, Growing
When I took Science & Religion (S&R) with Dr. Brock Bahler my junior year at Pitt, I was thrilled to explore the intersections between my pre-med and Religious Studies courses. In class, we discussed concepts including how astronomy interacts with theism and how one might reconcile beliefs in both the divine and evolution. When Dr….
CUTF: Myth, Propaganda, and the State #1
Hello! My name is Emily (she/her/hers), and I am in my final semester here at Pitt! I am from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. A fun fact about me is that at home, I have herded a few hundred cows when they escape their enclosure– a very Lancaster County experience! At Pitt, I am a part of the…
CUTF: Case Studies in Engineering
Hello! My name is Rehan Manjila and I’m a sophomore bioengineering student in the Swanson School of Engineering. This Spring I’m a Teaching Assistant for ENGR 12 (Intro to Engineering Computing) after also TA’ing for ENGR 11 (Intro to Engineering Analysis) last Fall. They’re some of the classes that make up the ‘first-year engineering curriculum’…
A Little Mad Sometimes
Hi! I am Amitha Halthore, a recipient of the Chancellor’s Undergraduate Teaching Fellowship for Spring 2023 under the mentorship of Dr. Jeffrey Heinzl. I am a Neuroscience and Film & Media Studies double major with a Chemistry minor, and I will be graduating this April! A little bit about me: I am a big coffee…
CUTF 1: “Queering” the Science & Religion Syllabus
Hi, Pitt Honors blog readers! My name is Yasmeen (she/her/hers), and I am a fourth-year at Pitt from outside Washington, D.C. A fun fact about me: I am certified to scuba dive sixty feet down into the ocean! At Pitt, I am on the pre-medical track and pursuing the Honors Degree, and I have majors…