“Science is like a village – you build upon the bricks of those before you,” said Jason’s biochemistry professor in college. As an educator now, Jason helps his students build upon the bricks set by scientists before them, teaching them to critically analyze scientific content and apply the lessons learned to fuel the creative process.
Jason served as the co-instructor for BIOE 620: Tissue Engineering with Dr. Antonios Mikos as part of Rice University’s Future Faculty Fellows program. As co-instructor, Jason developed a new curriculum with real-world clinical case studies and created Emerging Literature Discussions (ELDs) to engage students in critical analysis of novel scientific developments.
Jason also founded and developed the Organization for Community Advocates – Students and Mentors Achieving Readiness Together (OCA SMART) program to empower underrepresented minority K-12 students in developing leadership, communication, and public speaking skills. OCA SMART (now in its 3rd year) consists of a year-long curriculum that emphasizes one-on-one mentorship for students who aspire to be first-generation college students.
Jason L. Guo, Ph.D. 