We are Students Teaching Students.
Students Teaching Students (STS) is a registered student organization at Penn State that equips and enables undergraduate students to teach an official course under the supervision of a faculty member. From analyzing the music of Kanye West to preparing for the LSAT, student-led courses fill gaps in the existing curriculum and offer new learning opportunities to curious minds. Established as a student-led program, STS partners with both the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence and the Office of Undergraduate Education.
STS courses are designed to be a valuable and memorable addition to a student’s educational experience at Penn State. Ranging from 1 to 3 credits, student-led courses are electives that prioritize student engagement and fostering peer-to-peer collaboration. Courses are listed across various colleges and are open to all Penn State students.
Students Teaching Students has many benefits for students, faculty, and the Penn State community. First, students enrolled in STS courses have an unmatched opportunity to learn about niche topics from passionate instructors in a small classroom setting, advancing student engagement and peer-to-peer learning. Next, through completing the course design and instruction process, Student Instructors become experts in their subject matter and grow as learners in the process. Finally, STS offers the unique opportunity for Penn State to deepen student-faculty collaboration and further expand educational offerings by supplementing the existing curriculum.
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Our Team
We are a student-led, faculty-supported team who believes in empowering the student voice across Penn State classrooms.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Lisa Wang
Program Director
Contact: lzw5522@psu.edu
Lisa Wang is a Junior majoring in Biology from Hershey, PA. She brings an integrative background in student-centered programming, teaching and curriculum design, and educational management/ administration. Apart from being an STS instructor who teaches science through art, she serves as a student advisor to provost on the University Committee for Assessment and Learning (UCAL), Vice President of Programming with the Schreyer Medical Team, and Treasurer of Days for Girls at Penn State. She is passionate about supporting voices in student-led teaching and is always open to connecting over the knowledge, talent, conversations you are passionate about sharing on campus.
Tejas Gatehouse
Director of Finance
Contact: tlg5658@psu.edu
Tejas Gatehouse is a sophomore finance and philosophy major from Short Hills, New Jersey. On campus he is involved with Leveraged Lion Capital, Old State Realty, The Lion's Pantry, the Nittany Markets Analysis Association, and of course Students Teaching Students! He looks forward to supporting the future growth of student-led teaching at Penn State!
FACULTY LEADERSHIP
Christina Taheri
FACULTY ADVISOR
Contact: cjl22@psu.edu
Larkin Hood, Ph.D.
SITE TEAM LIAISON; Associate research professor, schreyer institute for teaching excellence
Contact: lnh2@psu.edu
Larkin Hood earned her doctorate in Anthropology at the University of Washington in 2007. She is currently an Associate Research Professor for the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, where she works primarily with Penn Staters who teach Science, Engineering, and Mathematics. Her research interests include how students learn from teaching others, and how instructors can include students in course design and planning . Prior to coming to Penn State, Dr. Hood developed and coordinated the undergraduate docent program at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, where she worked with undergraduate educators from a variety of disciplines to design and implement educational programs for the general public. She has been teaching anthropology courses since 1998.
Beate Brunow, Ph.D.
ASSOCIATE research professor, schreyer institute for teaching excellence
Contact: bub130@psu.edu
Beate Brunow earned her doctorate in German Literature and a minor in Women's Studies at the Pennsylvania State University in 2011. As an Associate Research Professor at the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, she works with instructors on questions around inclusion and equity, well-being, and civic engagement. Her research interests include intercultural learning and the role of well-being in the learning environment. Prior to coming to Penn State, Dr. Brunow served as Director of Academic Partnerships at the University of Georgia, and as interim Dean of the Center for Innovation and Learning and Director of New Faculty Teaching Initiatives at Wofford College. She also served as a first-year student advisor and program coordinator for German and Gender Studies.