In the course, “Disability Representation in Society,” taught by Mo West, students use art and community engagement as a tool for learning about disability justice. Read the full article: /news/2024/05/03/the-art-and-practice-of-disability-justice

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Tell me about your work. What are you currently working on?

Currently working with a group of about 6 students to complete the coding of a photovoice project we conducted last year. The project was focused on the experiences of discrimination that students faced as student at 56�Թ���B. The groups were facilitated by 56�Թ���B undergraduate research assistants. Sometime in the Spring, we are hoping to hold a community forum to present our findings and get feedback from students, staff and faculty on campus

Of your accomplishments workwise, which are you most proud of and why?

Throughout my career as an academic, I am most proud of the students that I have gotten the opportunity to work with

What/who inspired you to choose this field? What/who inspires you now?

It is tough to say that anyone inspired me to go into Public Health, more a lot of people that worked with me to see that we have a responsibility to eachother, to help and support one another and I saw teaching and working in public health as a way to do that.

Honestly, I am struggling with inspiration right now, but if there is anything it’s the seeing the success of past students

What are your immediate plans for your work? What are your aspirations?

At this point, I am just focusing on getting through the troubling aftershocks of the last 3-5 years politically, culturally and socially. I think, right now, it is enough to aspire to get up and do as well as I can each day. My plans, in the immediate future are focused on doing what I can to best reach the students we have and work out as strong an experience at Bothell as possible

Why 56�Թ��� Bothell?

Its a smaller more interesting school, not as bound to tradition as other places I have been

As a member of the faculty, what would you tell other professors about working here?

That is an interesting question and would depend on who I was talking to 😊

Besides their degree, what will students get out of attending 56�Թ��� Bothell?

If I am being totally honest, I don’t know in general. Students in my classes will get an honest blunt look at the world of public health and the whereas and whys of the state of health around us. They should come out the backside of our program with a healthy skepticism of our systems and tools to be able to tell fact from fiction and have an idea of what needs to be done

How can students excel in your class?

Pretty easy: show up, read, answer questions, ask questions

How do you spend your time outside of work?

Reading, playing video games, cooking, enjoying the occasional good bourbon or tequila, camping and hiking

What else would you like readers to know about you?

I am a cynic at the best of times, I am deeply critical of our systems of health coming from a deep desire to see a world where social justice is more important than market justice. Also, I truly, truly want my students to learn and learn to learn, to be a bit better at finding their place in the world, one that they can be proud of and comfortable with

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Tell me about yourself and why you became a professor

I always liked math and physics and thought I would be an engineer like my dad. I had no interest in biology because I thought it would be nothing but dissecting animals. I put biology off in high school until my Junior year until I couldn’t avoid it any longer and that when I had an amazing teacher who taught me how wrong I was! He said before we learned about the big things, we needed to understand what was happening inside the cells and from then on I was hooked. I went to an underfunded high school and the only way I could take AP biology was to come before school and mostly review on my own. I was lucky enough that our school’s biology teacher was willing to work with me individually and did other incredible things like spend his own money to buy a set of pipettes to give us experience with lab work while still in high school. That was the start of me being really interested in microbiology and the start in my appreciation of what a really invested teacher could do.

What interested you in this field?

I have always been interested in history and fascinated by illness. As I learned more about microbiology, it blew my mind that these tiny, microscopic organisms that you can’t even see with your naked eye could be so sophisticated and powerful. I knew I loved microbiology and knew I wouldn’t be very good at taking care of patients directly, so I struggled with how I could impact human health with science without becoming a doctor or a nurse. After college I came to 56�Թ��� Seattle where I did my PhD in Pathobiology, which is a mix of microbiology and public health. This is where I really learned how being a bench scientist could have a real impact in health and medicine.

What is it that you want your students to take away from your lessons and courses overall?

That no matter their skills, interests, or past experience with “science”, anyone can learn about microbiology. Many of the classes I teach are electives for non-majors and I’ve had several students who have had negative experiences with science and math classes in the past. My goal is for students to leave my classes not only having learned something about microbiology, but with the confidence to know that this is something they can be good at. I also want students to finish the quarter having an appreciation for microbes and understanding how they have impacted society in the past and how they are applicable to students today.

How did you come up with some of the ideas for these courses?

It depends! For the infectious disease detective course, I needed to develop a lower-division elective for non-majors that would fulfill the campus’ Natural World Requirement. I was thinking back to a teaching experience I had at Seattle Pacific University when I co-taught the microbiology class and lab for the pre-allied health professionals. The other instructor would review the diseases we had covered by giving students a pretend patient they would have to diagnose — I thought it would be cool to develop something similar for our students, especially one that could be accessible for all students, not just those in STEM. I also wanted something that biology majors would also appreciate — traditional microbiology courses have to cover so much content, they often don’t have time to dive into many of the infectious diseases and deeply as students may want. This course seems like a perfect opportunity to do both!

Tell me more on what makes the students being disease “detective” while taking the course

Over the 10 weeks, students will learn about 40 different infectious diseases. We cover the pathogen that causes it, how it is transmitted, the symptoms, treatment, prevention, and cure (if applicable). As we learn, the information for each disease is organized so that students can see how they compare. For example, which ones are transmitted by mosquitoes, which ones give people a rash, which ones are associated with eating raw meat? Students are then tested on their understanding by getting a hypothetical patient in an activity I call “clinical correlates” — in class they are told some basic information such as the person’s age, gender identity, location, and presenting symptoms like fever or a cough. It is up to the students to then play “detective” as they come up with questions to ask to learn more about that patient’s illness, their risk factors, background, progression, etc. They use what they have learned to diagnose the patient, develop a treatment recommendation, and make a prognosis, or prediction about what may happen during the course of that person’s infection.

Is there a certain style to your thinking when it comes to striking a basic of having a course that is informative, but also fun to learn?

When I first started teaching this class a few years ago (pre pandemic), I only had students diagnose hypothetical patients three times and then also used traditional multiple-choice tests as a way to assess student understanding. I watched some students struggle with test anxiety while they loved the clinical correlates and once we went remote due to COVID, I saw an opportunity to shift the way I delivered content and assessed understanding. Now students have the opportunity to independently learn about each disease and complete low-stakes quizzes to make sure they understand what has been presented to them and we reserve all the formal assessment of learning for the clinical correlates. It creates a more dynamic, energetic class time with students sharing ideas and comparing notes about what is going on.

What is the research like on your end when you have to create the courses along with how do you tie it in with the themes of that course?

I’m not sure if I understand this question, but I am working to publish some of the courses I’ve created to share the curriculum with other teachers. For example the elective I have on quarantine and isolation was published in 2021. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8011877/ [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Something that brings you the most joy of teaching students?

Some of my favorite teaching moments have been when students tell me 1) they never thought they could do well in a science class, but now see that they are fully capable, 2) they go home to their family and friends and talk about disease and everything they are learning [this was me as a student, actually I still do it!], 3) they end up facing an illness themselves (or with a family member) and feel like they have the tools to understand what the doctors are saying to them, what questions to ask, and how to find information, and 4) that they feel supported, like I care about them as a person.

What would you like to say for students who are interested in your class?

I would love to have you as a student! This disease detective class covers A LOT of information, but it is one of my absolute favorites! We cover 40 different diseases and I wonder if I should develop a second version of it so we can talk about more! Believe it or not, 40 is just the tip of the iceberg!

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Why 56�Թ��� Bothell?

There are many reasons why I’m thrilled to be at 56�Թ��� Bothell. For example, 56�Թ��� Bothell’s focus on transformational learning experiences, community engagement, and inclusivity aligns closely with my personal values and my scholarship. Plus, the opportunity to work with 56�Թ���B’s amazing students was a big factor in choosing 56�Թ��� Bothell. I’m so excited to be a part of this student-focused community!

Tell me about your work. What are you currently working on?

My scholarship focuses on the positive health benefits of nature experiences, such as psychological restoration and stress reduction. My research interests also include the scholarship of teaching and learning in public health with a particular focus on how students best learn public health information. One of my current projects centers on student experiences during the shift to emergency remote instruction in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. For this work, I collaborated with a doctoral student and two undergraduate students to conduct focus group interviews with public health majors at my previous institution. We shared our findings with our university community in real time, so that faculty could more fully support students during this unprecedented public health emergency. We are now writing a manuscript so we can share our results more broadly.

Of your accomplishments workwise, which are you most proud of and why?

I’m definitely the most proud of my research collaborations with my students. Many of these projects have resulted in student-led conference presentations and peer-reviewed journal publications. This accomplishment is meaningful to me because, as an undergraduate student, I conducted research with a mentor and presented the results at a professional conference. That research experience was fundamental to my decision to go to graduate school and I hope to offer my students similar experiences.

What/who inspired you to choose your field? What/who inspires you now?

My doctoral advisor, Daniel Stokols, inspired me to study environmental psychology in graduate school. He encouraged and supported my interdisciplinary thinking and my interests in theory development. I’m still in awe of the way he connected research from broad perspectives to explain the interrelationship between people and the environment. Today, I’m inspired by the work of a number of scholars, from Paulo Freire’s work on popular education and praxis to Ibram X. Kendi’s work on antiracism. I’m currently rereading bell hook’s, Teaching to Transgress, which continues to guide and inform my teaching practice.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

Work-life balance is so important! Outside of work, I enjoy taking walks with my miniature dachshund, hiking, reading, and knitting. I spent the summer training for my first 5k run, which was a fun challenge. I hope there are more races in my future!

What else would you like readers to know about you?

I’m a first generation college student and scholar and one of my passions is supporting students who are also the first in their family to attend college. I’m always available for a chat with my students over coffee or tea about the exciting possibilities that await them.

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The CROW Connecting Bothell and Bellevue project was proposed by Ko Niitsu, Assistant Professor at 56�Թ��� Bothell School of Nursing & Health Studies, and Christina Lai, an undergraduate student majoring in Health Studies and minoring in Biology at 56�Թ��� Bothell. Lai has been working with Niitsu as an Research Assistant / Student Civic Fellow supported by the Washington Campus Compact.

Niitsu and his colleagues have previously developed an intervention to help 56�Թ��� Bothell students stay resilient during the pandemic through a pilot research project titled, Resilience through Virtual Mindfulness. “Christina was one of the participants of the mindfulness project” Niitsu said. “After the project was over, she approached to me and told me that not only college students but high school students are also struggling with mental health and wellbeing. This is how the idea of the CROW Connecting Bothell and Bellevue project was born”.

Niitsu and Lai are designing a project that college students at 56�Թ��� Bothell function as mentors for high school students in Bellevue. “I am a graduate of a high school in Bellevue, and I am now about to graduate from 56�Թ��� Bothell”, Lai said. “The last few years have been exceptionally challenging and taken a toll on us all. I would like to help youth build a strong foundation to thrive and prepare them for success”.

They are currently developing the IRB application, program content, and network. They are hoping to start recruiting participants in Autumn 2022 and implementing the project in Winter 2023 and/or later.

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Tell me about your work. What are you currently working on?

My work kinda spans a few areas: mental and behavioral health, teaching, and some clinical care. This past year I have been very involved with an amazing team of faculty colleagues in two mental & behavioral health projects. One project is specifically oriented toward increasing the mental and behavioral health baseline of knowledge and literacy for healthcare-facing folks, which can include nurses, patient service representatives, medical assistants, and more. The other project has a similar objective in terms of mental & behavioral health baseline knowledge, but for K-12 school-based personnel. Both of these projects have incredibly dedicated community partner involvement and our team has been working so hard to assess needs, design curriculum, create content, launch content, and get feedback at a pretty fast pace! Given what everyone is navigating these past 2 years, it has really made mental & behavioral health in every sector so critical a consideration and really created a lot of need and enthusiasm for more knowledge.

Alongside these projects, I am teaching each quarter and it has been an equally interesting and challenging ride. Pivoting to all online/remote teaching, improving course content and delivery for much less (or no) in-person instruction, and then pivoting back to being back in person amidst the fear, trepidation, and grief of our students has really stretched all of my skills and learning as an educator far more than I thought! I have so much gratitude for my fellow teaching colleagues and for our Digital Learning team who share so many incredible ideas about how to do all of this as well as we were able.

Of your accomplishments work-wise, which are you most proud of and why?

This is a tough one, I can be a little hard on myself ‚ I feel the proudest of how I was able to navigate the constant change in our learning environment and expectations over the last 2 years with both Health Studies and Nursing students, attempt to account for all of their social dimensions of health, well-being, and success, and remain flexible and adaptable every week. I won’t lie- it took all of my molecules of patience!

What/who inspired you to choose this field? What/who inspires you now?

My sister and I used to play two choice imaginary games when we were kids: school and restaurant. When we played school, I was the teacher and used to make up whole lessons and give her homework. I was apparently very strict! Honestly, a big part of that is because of my parents. All of us were always reading, my mom used to give us summer homework and have us do every library summer reading program under the sun. It’s true that some of it was the immigrant, cultural dream of having us be highly educated and therefore successful. Most importantly, they cared deeply that we were critical thinkers. We sat every night at dinner and talked about the highlights of our days, what we learned no matter how small, what we were challenged by, and what we could do better. Those conversations usually weaved into philosophy, ethics, or politics as we got older. And still do ðŸ‚

What inspires me now is our students. I am really in awe of how much life they have in their lives. I was lucky enough to go to college with relative ease. I studied, worked, and played. I did not have to care for children, family members, or be concerned about my job providing anything other than my portion of rent, food, and beer. My students have so much more they are navigating to show up to class, to stay engaged, and to succeed. I am in awe of what they are able to hold, and it is one of the main reasons I aim to stay open, adaptable, and communicative with them so that we can shape their learning as needs arise.

What are your immediate plans for your work? What are your aspirations?

My immediate plans are to keep dedicating myself to the two projects I talked about above and, of course, becoming a better, more inclusive instructor. I always have a quiver of projects I’d like to launch! In my academic life, I want to become more involved in writing pedagogy and projects on campus as writing is one of my loves. I also have a strong interest in working with the local South Asian community in mental and behavioral health education since there are strong cultural and systemic influences that make these conversations very difficult in the community. I often also think about what I will do when I grow up. One of those things is that I would love to learn to be a sign (ASL) interpreter for people in labor and postpartum I have had some very impactful experiences that have stayed with me always, and it is one of the ways I would like to continue to be of service as a midwife without necessarily being the primary caregiver.

Why 56�Թ��� Bothell?

I chose to come to 56�Թ���B because of the more close-knit environment, the ability to get to know my students and their needs so that I can be a better instructor, and faculty that is very engaged in collaboration and teaching. Shoutout to my SNHS faculty! They’re awesome.

Besides their degree, what will students get out of attending 56�Թ��� Bothell?

I think that students can get a lot of what is true for us as faculty. The ability to build learning and professional connections with their instructors, classrooms and education that are engaged and collaborative, the chance to get involved in community-based learning, and the opportunity to become involved on campus and in leadership in a place that is supportive and not so anonymous.

How can students excel in your class?

Communication is key. Life hands us a lot of challenges, and some of what we are learning in this life so that we can weather those challenges is how to plan and organize ourselves, adapt when plans don’t hold up, and then try again. That is what I want students to practice when they are learning with me. You don’t have to be ashamed or bag the whole quarter because it didn’t start out well, or because you missed some things. Come back to the table, let’s figure out what you need to succeed or get by, and try again.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

Hanging with my son, my family, and moving my body! I like to play tennis and play in leagues and on teams. I lift weights, hike, and play golf (my son got me into that!). I also have 2 adorable and noisy dogs, Nori and Nico, who have featured in MANY videos and meetings in the last 2 years! I also try to savor the time to stare out the window. It makes me feel like my brain is more spacious!

What else would you like readers to know about you?

My goal by the end of 2022 is to self-publish the poetry book I’ve been chipping away at the last 2 years

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