Rachel Kennison is active in the development of courses and initiatives to improve undergraduate STEM education and provides professional development and training to graduate students, post doctorate scholars and faculty in evidence based teaching practices, mentoring and teaching through diversity. Dr. Kennison earned her B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, M.S. in Clinical Social Work from Columbia University and her Ph.D. in Biology from UCLA in 2008. Her research interests were in the structure and function of southern California estuaries.
As Associate Director for Professional Development and Student Engagement in the Center for Education, Innovation and Learning in the Sciences (CEILS), Dr. Kennison serves as the Program Coordinator for the UCLA@CIRTL program (Center for the Integration or Research, Teaching and Learning), facilitating learning communities for graduate students and post doctoral scholars to learn about evidence-based teaching practices and participate in Teaching-as-Research projects en route to obtain their CIRTL certification.
As Director of Bioscience Postdoctoral Affairs in the David Geffen School of Medicine, Dr. Talton is committed to ensuring a positive postdoctoral training environment and fostering the successful professional development of UCLA’s biomedical and life scientists. Dr. Talton promotes a successful bioscience training environment by developing career training activities targeted to advanced degree holders, leading training programs in grant-writing, teaching, and biomedical research ethics, and advocating for postdoctoral scholars within the university and beyond. As a UCLA former postdoctoral scholar, and now instructor and administrator for PhD trainees, Dr. Talton has first-hand experience in the challenges of postdoctoral education and career building and the types of issues and experiences challenging UCLA’s trainees today. As Program Coordinator for IRACDA@UCLA, Dr. Talton manages recruitment and interviews, oversees training requirements, facilitates some of the instructional and professional development training for IRACDA fellows, and coordinates program logistics.
In addition to her administrative roles, Dr. Talton teaches MIMG C234 – Ethics and Integrity in Biomedical Research and the RCR Refresher Course, the primary responsible conduct in research and biomedical ethics courses for the basic biosciences. She leads a grant-writing group for NIH Individual Postdoctoral Fellowships; directs a teaching training program designed to give postdocs the opportunity to observe, co-lead discussions, and participate in course planning; and is an NRMN/CIMER Entering Mentoring trained facilitator co-leading mentor training for postdocs and faculty in the biosciences.