Instructor Q&A: Karen Nguyen
Project Management
Winter 2021
“The opportunity to teach internationally has given me greater
insights into project management practices, appreciation for
cultural diversity, and mutual respect for team collaboration
in a global project environment.”
Q. Why did you decide to become
an instructor?
A. My decision to become an instructor
was a natural progression thanks to my
mentor, Marty Wartenberg, who is also
an instructor for UCI DCE and has been
teaching for the past 30 years. I met
Marty while taking his Project Risk class
back in 2009. He took me under his wing
and taught me many aspects of project
management, leadership, and teaching.
Prior to entering graduate school, I was
a guest speaker for various DCE classes
and events over the course of eight
years. One of my reasons for attending
graduate school was to teach. Thanks
to the staff and instructors at DCE who
happily welcomed me as an instructor
shortly after I graduated in 2017.
Q. What's your favorite lesson to
teach and why?
A. My favorite lesson to teach is project
management coupled with presentation
and leadership skills. I like to blend
all three disciplines for real-world
experiences leveraging high performance
team models and emotional intelligence
components. Project management becomes more challenging when you
are dealing with cultural influences that
affect the team’s ability to lead and
solve complex problems. The opportunity
to teach internationally has given me
greater insights into project management
practices, appreciation for cultural
diversity, and mutual respect for team
collaboration in a global project environment.
Q. What's unique about your
teaching style?
A. I like to aim for three A’s when it comes to my style of teaching:
- Aptitude for learning. In order to help promote newly acquired skills, I customize each course with a series of fun and creative activities starting with a “What’s Your Story” theme. The idea is to get students highly engaged and closely connected as a group by sharing impromptu stories about themselves throughout the class duration. This will naturally create a support group, which is especially important as we continue to navigate through the ever-changing pandemic landscape together.
- Application of learning. Students get specialized individual Zoom conference meetings with me once a week, if they are willing to apply what they have learned in class to their workplace. The idea is to get them to realize their immediate return on investment while equipping and empowering them with the ability to make their own connections through the knowledge gained from DCE. Their success story is shared with their classmates during the “What’s Your Story” highlights and lessons learned activities.
- Attitude for learning. Education is a lifelong learning journey. As long as they continue to learn and share their knowledge, they will continue to grow and make new friendships for years to come.
Q. What do you find most
rewarding about being an
instructor?
A. As an instructor, I go beyond the
textbooks and try to help my students
realize their full potential. I like to follow
Marty’s inspirational message: “Help
people and be a positive influence on
everything and everyone around you.”
There is nothing more rewarding knowing
I’ve made an impact on my students, and
that I’ve shown them their potential to
be part of something special and inspire
others. Remember, knowledge is not
only what you receive, but also what
you give.