Doctoral Student: Endy Kailer, Kansas State University

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Doctoral Student

Endy Lopes Kailer is a third-year Ph.D. student in agronomy at Kansas State University, where she has taught over 590 students in the past six semesters. Originally from Piedade do Rio Grande, Brazil, Endy earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agronomy from Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Brazil. Endy was also a visiting student at the University of Kentucky. The courses Endy teaches include Soils, Soil Laboratory, Soil Microbiology, Soil Microbiology Laboratory, Biology of the Fungi, World Food Crops, and Human and Cultural Diversity in the Food and Agricultural Sciences. For Endy, teaching is much more than just delivering information. The information has always been out there, but we are the ones who can bring it in a memorable manner that will catch the students’ attention and generate lifelong positive experiences. Endy’s teaching style is centered on bringing complex information in a more ‘digestible manner’ that students can relate to by bringing real-life examples to class, using dynamic and visually appealing lectures, promoting group discussions, and lots of hands-on activities. Endy always tries to explain critical concepts in a simple way to show that complex topics can be easily understood if presented in a familiar way. Endy also often brings to class exciting materials such as soil samples, live plants, and organisms/structures preserved in resin blocks for the students to observe and interact with. This approach has allowed her to create a more interactive and memorable classroom experience. The use of hands-on materials not only makes her classes more engaging but also allows students to better understand and connect with the subject.

Honorable Mentions: Sarah Fischer, Indiana University

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