Teaching

We live on an amazing planet, and I love being able to introduce students to the natural world all around them. My goal as an educator is to prepare students with the knowledge and skills they need for success in future endeavors, to foster personal connections to the geosciences, and to promote a broader curiosity in science inquiry that extends beyond the classroom. But equally important, I strive to build accessible and inclusive educational settings where students are motivated to engage and build a sense of belonging; especially those from traditionally marginalized identities in science disciplines. It is difficult to see a path for yourself in a discipline when even the basic things you need to succeed in class are not available and you don’t see yourself represented, so my courses have a strong focus on access and representation.  Additionally, weaving cultural and community knowledge into science curriculum helps emphasize that there are many ways of knowing; many ways to understand the way the world works. By re-examining traditional ways of teaching and learning geology, new approaches to teaching can enable everyone to participate, learn and thrive in the geosciences.

Courses taught at UF:

GLY 1102 Age of Dinosaurs: Online Asynchronous. A popular gen ed course (<400 students per semester) that presents geology and biology basics through the topic of dinosaurs.

GLY 1880 – Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Other Hazards: Online Asynchronous. Explores the science behind natural hazards, and how hazards can become disasters with the complex interplay of people and the natural world. Mirrors the in-person course IDS 2935 Hazard and Humans in an online format.

IDS 2935 Hazards and Humans (Quest 2): In-person. Meets twice for lectures and once for interactive breakout activities each week. This course explores the science behind natural hazards, and how hazards can become disasters with the complex interplay of people and the natural world.

GLY 2030C Environmental and Engineering Geology: Online Asynchronous. Covers the fundamental concepts of geology and investigates the interactions of nature and people (both individually and as a society) including natural hazards, resource utilization and environmental issues.

GLY 3882C Hydrology and Human Affairs: Online Asynchronous. Provides a foundation in hydrologic science, policy, and environmental considerations with an international lens.

GLY 4930 Professional Geology: Hybrid. Co-taught with UF Geology alumni, this course prepares students for the FG certification exam, creates networks with working professionals, exposes students to a wide range of career options within our discipline and covers professional development topics such as geo-ethics and project management.

GLY4930 GeoSPACE Field Course: Hybrid with in-person and virtual sections running in tandem. A capstone level planetary geology field course that enables students to develop and apply skills in field geology, planetary geoscience, remote sensing and volcanology in Northern Arizona with an accessible, inclusive format. Development of this course is funded by NSF. More information on the project website: https://sites.google.com/ufl.edu/geospace-field-program