CASA Faculty

I love teaching physics. I had my first formal teaching experience as a senior in high school and my first exposure to physics as a sophomore in college; ever since, I have been seeking out ways to combine these two passions. Whether as a lead instructor, teaching assistant, individual tutor or outreach volunteer, I thoroughly enjoy facilitating the discovery and understanding of interesting physical phenomena. As a teaching faculty member at Mines, I strive to provide a high-quality educational experience for all of our physics students.

After earning my MS degree, I moved to the Winsor School in Boston, Massachusetts, where I taught both algebra- and calculus-based introductory physics for two years before returning to Duke to complete my PhD. My research at Duke focused mainly on small networks of nonlinear dynamical systems, but I have since switched my focus to teaching and teacher preparation. In addition to teaching physics at Mines, I also co-direct Teach@Mines, a program whose mission is to help students explore their interest in becoming teachers themselves.

Hi all!  My name is Dr. Renee Falconer but my students usually call me Dr. F.  I’m in my 7th year at Mines but have been teaching general and environmental chemistry for way longer than I am willing to admit!  I love talking with students about chemistry, science, books, travel, family, and life in general.  I’m originally from PA but have lived in a number of places and traveled to even more.  I hope you will come see me in CASA so we can study, learn and explore your future together.  Just remember – life is the ultimate journey, enjoy it to the fullest!

Andres (Dre) is a graduate of CSM, earning his BS in Civil Engineering and his MS and PhD in Engineering Systems. Dre is a professional engineer and has been teaching at Mines since 2009. He incorporates innovative approaches to educate Mines students about civil engineering applications in geotechnical and structural engineering, land development, construction practices, risk assessment, and optimization. He is the course coordinator for CEEN 241 and is part of the team of professors who leads the Civil Engineering Field Session.

Ashlyn is a graduate of CSM, completing her MS and Ph.D in the AMS Department (known then as the Mathematical and Computer Sciences Department) After finishing at CSM in 2009, she joined the Mathematics department at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA for 7 years. She joined the AMS department here in 2016, and she and her family are thrilled to be back in Golden, CO and back at Mines. Ashlyn has taught courses in the Calculus sequence, and her specialty is in Statistics. She is now teaching the courses MATH 201, 334, and 335. In her spare time, she chases after her 5 year old son and 2 year old daughter as they explore Colorado.

I am on the teaching faculty in the Chemistry Department, here at Mines, and am excited to be working at CASA this  academic year!  I look forward to working with General Chemistry students on both content and learning strategies, that will not only be applicable in a chemistry setting, but also throughout students’ education.  My background is in Biochemistry and I have been teaching at the college level for about 20 years in a variety of academic settings.  Colorado School of Mines provides a very special and unique teaching and learning atmosphere and I feel privileged to be a part of this community. When not at Mines, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, eating chocolate, and spending time outdoors!  Hope to see you at CASA!

I received my Master’s Degree in History from Florida State University in 2013 and promptly moved to beautiful Colorado! I’ve been a Writing Consultant at the Writing Center for two years, and I am also an Adjunct Teaching Professor for Nature and Human Values. I enjoy writing and hope I can impart some of my enthusiasm to you with each appointment. I understand writing is a process which may seem scary at first, but I believeit can lead to several fulfilling aspects both personally and professionally. Please feel free to stop by at any point in your writing process, whether it is brainstorming, outlining, or a rough draft! I have a passion for language which I am happy to share with you.