Keenan Marchesi, PhD

As a first-generation college student, my journey into academia was profoundly shaped by the mentorship and support I received from my undergraduate professors. My commitment to fostering a respectful and inclusive learning environment, that builds off student curiosity, was shaped largely by their efforts during that formative time. As my education continued, and I developed my own courses and became a more active member of the department and university in graduate school, my graduate professors further exemplified how to weave these experiences together to guide students in their education. I actively continued to engage in mentorship opportunities, working directly as a mentor for interns, or via research collaborations with graduate students and newer staff upon joining the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. At its core, my teaching philosophy is about cultivating an inclusive space and setting where together, be it as a class, as a mentor, or as a collaborator, we can create and achieve more than we could alone. 

I successfully taught both introductory undergraduate and senior level capstone courses, receiving a 4.5 and 4.7 out of 5 in introductory macro and microeconomics, respectively, on overall teaching effectiveness. When I served as co-instructor for the senior-level food policy course, I received a 4.9 out of 5. I found that by successfully integrating real-world examples beyond the introduced theory, emphasizing the importance of critical thinking, as well as sharing the rationale behind my assignments and how it aligns with the course goals, I was able to not only motivate students, but successfully engage them in the material. This method was affirmed in my evaluations, where students emphasized how my well-organized lectures, practical problem sets, and in-class exercises made challenging economic concepts approachable and memorable. In my senior course, I developed the capstone project, where students worked together to develop a hypothesis, investigate relevant literature, clean, manage, and analyze a dataset, and present their findings at the university-wide poster presentation. I found that by providing them with the framework and serving as a guide for their ideas and methods, they could embrace research and learn the value it can add to their communities. 

To better connect with my students and emphasize my desire to create a space that is safe for them to learn, I discretely collect their preferred pronouns and their individual learning preferences at the onset of the semester. These two actions allowed me to demonstrate my desire to create a safe and respectful learning environment but also tailor my teaching methods to meet the diverse needs of my students. I also actively encourage students to attend office hours, not only to discuss academic performance but also to provide a space for them to voice any concerns about the course or their overall university experience. By fostering this supportive atmosphere, I have found that students are more willing to engage with the material and participate actively in class discussions.

Teaching is constantly evolving and with the advancement of AI and the disruptions to in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s more important than ever to continue to evolve as an instructor. I believe that along with establishing clear expectations into my courses, emphasizing the reasoning behind each assignment, lesson and topic, as part of the overarching goal of the courses, and weaving them back into the aims outlined in the syllabus provide students with the foundation for success. In addition to a detailed syllabus with outlined daily topics, homework deadlines, and exam dates, I actively design my online course material to reiterate this information in as many places as possible. My lectures are similarly structured, beginning with an overview of the day’s objectives and a reminder of upcoming deadlines. I supplement theoretical material with real-world examples and in-class activities, ensuring that students understand how each component of the course contributes to achieving the overall learning objectives. In regards to AI, I believe that it is important for students to understand when and how to appropriately use this tool, which is why I continue to rely on in-class activities that students can do without any tech, to provide them with the opportunity to work on these assignments themselves, and reinforce that they are able to learn and engage without an assistive technology. My student evaluations proved that this approach provided students with not only an effective methodology for tackling my courses but helped establish the skills necessary to implement in other courses. 

I aim to engage high-level students in research, showing them the value of being able to tackle research questions and contribute to academia at large. When I was the co-instructor for the Economics of Policy and Food, I designed semester-long research projects to provide students with hands-on experience in data collection, analysis, and presentation. As a result of this effort, I was invited by the Associate Provost to participate in a faculty focus group on project-based learning centered on developing assignments and evaluation tools founded on pedagogical principles, where my effort was praised and acknowledged to stand alongside that of well-established faculty. At the time, I used data I developed from my dissertation, however, at ERS I have developed a mastery of publicly available datasets, both within the government and from other high-value research centers across the county, that could be utilized to introduce students to a wide range of topics and ideas. I am excited not only to teach students about the highly visible topics like inflation and tariffs, but to show them how to access this information, and break it down for themselves. These experiences not only enhance their understanding of the subject matter but also prepare them for collaborative work in their future careers.

To ensure that my teaching methods are effective, I regularly seek feedback from my students. Following the first exam, I conduct an anonymous survey to assess their progress and gather insights on lecture pace, in-class activities, and overall course structure. At the midpoint and end of the semester, in addition to the traditional course evaluation, I ask students to do a separate survey, reflecting on their learning experience and provide advice for future students. This feedback has been crucial in validating my teaching approach and identifying areas for improvement. Many students have reported that they developed better time management skills and study habits because of the structured framework and support I provided.

 

Teaching is a lifelong journey, and I am committed to continually refining my pedagogical approaches to support student success. My experiences in undergraduate, graduate school, and ERS have reinforced my passion for teaching and mentoring the next generation. I look forward to bringing my expertise, dedication, and enthusiasm to your institution, where I can contribute to the academic and personal growth of your students.