PrepNow Tutor - Andrea G.
A self-proclaimed “mild-mannered mad scientist,” Andrea has taught various courses in food science, from Elements of Nutrition and Food Processing Technology to Food Microbiology and An Educational Odyssey in Exploring Food, Culture, and Environment—all courses involving higher concepts in biology, chemical engineering, biochemistry, agriculture, and other topics in STEM. Having excelled as a graduate and doctoral student, she knows a thing or two about the most effective means of test prep and long-term learning.
She holds a BS, MS, and PhD in nutrition and food science from the University of Maryland, where she wrote her dissertation on “Understanding the Interactions of Cold Atmospheric Plasma and the Plant Stress Response to Improve Fresh Produce Safety.” After her undergraduate studies, she worked as a quality assurance tech for a baked goods company in Denver, CO.
She has cultivated an unconventional career as an educator. Upon returning to University of Maryland for graduate school, she worked in cooperative extension education. “Training working professionals as well as college students bolstered my love of science education,” she shares. Since most of her graduate research was on microbiology of “leafy greens food safety,” she is also completing an internship in sustainability research. In addition to tutoring, she works in food safety training support and curriculum development.
Andrea began tutoring as a high school student when family friends would ask for help with their kids. This experience inspired her to be a teaching assistant in graduate school. “One of my proudest moments as a teaching assistant was being told by a former student that he had adopted one of my teaching techniques when he worked as a teaching assistant for the same class,” she recalls.
Her teaching approach is about developing strong foundations in scientific concepts and applications. “Since most of my instruction experience involves either nutrition or food safety, it is essential that the student understands the underlying concepts behind the scientific application,” she notes. Her experiences working with myriad students at higher levels have given her expert insights on motivating students to become more efficient, creative learners. “Long term, I hope to develop educational resources to help non-scientists boost their overall scientific literacy,” she adds.
In 2010, she placed as an FCCLA STAR event silver medalist in Culinary Arts and, in 2021, earned second place in the IFTSA College Bowl Competition. In addition to winning a full scholarship to University of Maryland, her stellar grades inducted her into the Dean's Fellowship program along with a research fellowship. As a graduate student, she won and placed in several competitions, and her dedication to research earned her the title of Outstanding Research Assistant.
When she’s not tutoring or musing over delicious microorganisms, she enjoys supporting other researchers and their projects. “I am currently assisting a research center in agricultural bioinformatics research to help support other research projects similar to mine,” she says.
In high school, Andrea was in concert band and marching band, the debate club, and the culinary arts club.
Fun tidbit: her first international trip was to an IEEE conference (IEEE being a global tech organization focused on innovation for the betterment of humanity) in Japan when she was three years old.
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