My teaching philosophy
My teaching philosophy guides students into making the classroom a shared place of critical thinking and social action. I aim to foster a learning space which values and builds on students’ understandings of how the world came to be to imagine a better world in the present and future.
"We come together to be unlovely and take ourselves apart, in order to mutually construct even more difficult ideas. It’s not supposed to be easy. The labor is what makes it beautiful."
- KYLA WAZANA THOMPKINS, "WE AREN'T HERE TO LEARN WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW"
Courses
At Cal Poly Humboldt, I teach in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Analysis, with courses cross-listed in History and Politics. I teach a mix of general education courses open to all majors, and upper-division courses catered to majors in Geography, Environmental Studies, History, and Politics, although students in other departments (Environmental Science and Management; Anthropology; and more) have found my classes engaging as well.
In Spring 2026, I will be teaching Intro to Human Geography (GEOG 105) and Political Ecology (GEOG/PSCI 365).
I am also a core faculty member in the Environment and Community MA program. Students in the program explore "just and sustainable solutions to complex social and environmental challenges, grounded in the knowledge that racial justice, settler colonialism, and environmental problems are deeply intertwined."
I am available to serve as chair and committee member for students in the program. Interested students should apply! Priority applications are due February 1, 2026.
Courses taught on rotation
At Cal Poly Humboldt: Intro to Human Geography (every semester); Geography of US Empire (formerly known as Migrations and Mosaics, GEOG 304); Geographic Skills Lab (GEOG 310L); California Geography (GEOG 322/M); Political Ecology (GEOG/Politics 365); Making of the Modern Middle East (GEOG/History 319); Senior Field Research (GEOG 411W)
Previous course taught:
At UC Davis: WMS 102 "Gender and (Post)Colonialism," Gender Sexuality and Women's Studies Dept; Lead Teaching Assistant, GSW 50 "Introduction to Gender Sexuality and Women's Studies," Gender Sexuality and Women's Studies Dept.
In Spring 2026, I will be teaching Intro to Human Geography (GEOG 105) and Political Ecology (GEOG/PSCI 365).
I am also a core faculty member in the Environment and Community MA program. Students in the program explore "just and sustainable solutions to complex social and environmental challenges, grounded in the knowledge that racial justice, settler colonialism, and environmental problems are deeply intertwined."
I am available to serve as chair and committee member for students in the program. Interested students should apply! Priority applications are due February 1, 2026.
Courses taught on rotation
At Cal Poly Humboldt: Intro to Human Geography (every semester); Geography of US Empire (formerly known as Migrations and Mosaics, GEOG 304); Geographic Skills Lab (GEOG 310L); California Geography (GEOG 322/M); Political Ecology (GEOG/Politics 365); Making of the Modern Middle East (GEOG/History 319); Senior Field Research (GEOG 411W)
Previous course taught:
At UC Davis: WMS 102 "Gender and (Post)Colonialism," Gender Sexuality and Women's Studies Dept; Lead Teaching Assistant, GSW 50 "Introduction to Gender Sexuality and Women's Studies," Gender Sexuality and Women's Studies Dept.