For Ph.D. student Shahzarin Khan, teaching about sexual health at the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington (SPH-B) has been a second-career learning journey that has paid off in more ways than one.
Khan, who works in the Department of Applied Health Science, will be presented with the Lieber Memorial Associate Instructor Award at the annual Indiana University Celebration of Teaching & Service Awards on Tuesday, March 25. This distinction is specifically for associate instructors (AIs) who have not yet achieved faculty rank. The last Ph.D. student from SPH-B to receive it is Khan’s colleague and Associate Professor Alyssa Lederer in 2015. Khan is in her third and final year of the Ph.D. program. Her teaching journey as an AI began in 2022 when she took a required teaching course with her award-winning mentor and clinical professor Catherine Sherwood-Laughlin.
"While I have worked closely with many AIs over the last 16 years, Shahzarin is one of the most confident and effective instructors I have ever had the opportunity to mentor,” states Sherwood-Laughlin in her letter of recommendation. “The graduate student I support must be devoted to supporting our students’ academic experiences in the classroom, be aware of the world around him/her/them and bring those experiences of social consciousness into the classroom, and work towards making the community and the world a better place…Shahzarin embodies these characteristics."
Hailing originally from Bombay, India—and following a lucrative career in finance—Khan was inspired to pursue a second career in sexual health education after viewing the Netflix documentary Hot Girls Wanted, produced by SPH-B faculty member and Provost Professor Debby Herbenick.
“In India and China there is a history of population control, and all of that burden goes on women which can result in a lot of negative health outcomes,” says Khan. “After my career in finance when I felt financially stable, I wanted to explore what I really wanted to do: focusing on women’s rights and women’s health.”
Khan has been teaching the Human Sexuality class to IU undergraduate students for the past two years, and credits Sherwood-Laughlin for helping refine her capabilities as an instructor.
“Catherine is so resourceful, and she is always available,” says Khan. “She never lets you feel like you are alone, and I’ve never had a person like that who really trusted in me to brainstorm and try new things to overcome classroom challenges.”
Khan says the process of applying for the award gave her a chance to reflect on her strengths and weaknesses, and how she wants to improve.
“When you are a student teacher you are so busy you don’t often get the time to think about changes you want to incorporate, or something new to work on, or your student evaluations,” says Khan. “Preparing the award application materials helped me determine what I really want from my next phase of teaching.”
Khan has learned at SPH-B that collaboration, as well as a willingness to ask for help, are key elements to excellent teaching.
Khan adds, “Taking help from people is a significant step for me as it is not something reinforced in my culture. Now I take the approach that it is okay to work together. Instructors are passionate about teaching, and we are often struggling similarly – for instance, if something happens to a student and they are not doing well emotionally or mentally, how do we best support them? I’ve learned to take and seek help from different sources, rather than just doing it on my own.”
Khan also credits Department of Applied Science Department Chair Eric Walsh-Buhi, and the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL) for contributing to her professional success at this stage of her career.
Hungry for more stories on SPH-B students, faculty and staff making a difference locally and worldwide? Visit go.iu.edu/48bx.