teaching

Rainbow Beach Dunes, Chicago, IL

I used to teach undergraduate students as an Assistant Instructional Professor at University of Chicago in the Program on the Global Environment. My courses were offered through the Environmental and Urban Studies major. For now, what's below serves as an archive and set of resources for students.

In my courses, and in all the informal teaching and mentoring I do, I encourage students to reflect deeply on the way they understand the world and their inherent bias and assumptions. I am lucky to work with students who take this task seriously and have the ability to make real change in the world.

I am invested in student success. I strive to facilitate an inclusive comfortable classroom environment that supports students in classroom and experiential learning, and acknowledges how life experiences impact this. I expect I will learn from students and students will learn from each other. I have high expectations for students to engage in coursework and take control of their own learning.

If you are a student interested in engaging with our environment in positive ways, here are some considerations for preparation you can do in college. Both scientists and non-scientists benefit from understanding: basic earth and biological sciences; what comprises the research enterprise in North America; where their idea of nature formed and whether it needs to be reexamined; the recent roots of colonial Western science and European ecological imperialism; denial of other forms of knowing; capitalism's role in natural resource exploitation and multiple environmental crises; environmental justice; how to make cities better for humans and non-humans; how to form a robust and well-supported argument; how to write concisely; how to translate scientific concepts and evidence to a general audience; how to talk to people and find common ground. These ideas all feature prominently throughout my teaching.