Teaching

“The classroom remains the most radical space of possibility in the academy” ~ bell hooks

I believe that education is a critical component for building the capacity to respond to climate change. My teaching experiences have been varied in content and format, from creating a grad-student centered course on DEI issues to guest lectures on climate science. I strive to integrate best pedagogical practices in my lectures and lesson plans, and also often use these tools in my scientific presentations.

Diversity & Inclusion in the Geosciences | Graduate-student level | Winter 2019 | Stanford University

In Summer 2018 I began setting the foundation to start-up this course by and for Stanford Earth graduate students. With the support of Prof. Paula Welander and the Stanford Earth educational affairs office, we got the course on the bulletin, waiting to see if there would be interest. My co-instructor Emily Cardarelli and I developed the syllabus, centered around literature and other readings about the lack of diversity in geosciences and perspectives from guest speakers. Outcomes included learning about different axes of diversity and marginalization, and evaluating best practices for retention and inclusion. The course culminated in a final project and project symposium, where students focused on solutions and ideas for championing DEI in their departments or communities.

After the inaugural run of the course, we were able to advocate for its continuation, demonstrating that the students valued the course and its effectiveness in educating about fundamental issues in the geosciences and providing tools to implement into their practice. We also focused and successfully advocated for future graduate student instructors of the course to be financially compensated for their labor.

The course to date has ran for four consecutive years. You can read more about the current iterations of the course here.

Identity in the Classroom | Graduate-student level | Summer 2019 | Stanford University

Student and instructor identities play a role in learning experiences in all disciplines and all spaces (classrooms, labs, mentoring, etc.) This one week intensive course explored how academic learning spaces can be designed to be more inclusive of all students.

The Earth's Climate System (ENVI 240) | Undergraduate level | April 2022 | Macalester College

Lecture on the physical mechanisms for extreme events in a warming climate and the impacts of climate change on people and communities.