I love to teach and design learning opportunities. When I teach, I emphasize individual interests, personal leadership, and engagement with real-world issues. I like to teach courses and workshops that transcend the disciplinary gap between the natural and social sciences in addressing social and environmental problems.
Below are examples of courses I've taught and a list of selected presentations I've made.
Below are examples of courses I've taught and a list of selected presentations I've made.
Introduction to environmental science
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University of Vermont, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources
Fall 2014 ENSC 1 is designed for students interested in learning how the environment works. It introduces the environmental sciences, explores how humans affect ecological systems, and demonstrate how scientific knowledge and principles can help solve environmental problems. We begin the course with a brief review of the scientific method, how ecosystems work, and the basics of global population growth. Then we consider sources of pollutants and their impacts on global resources. We conclude the course by reviewing relevant environmental laws and management practices, examining steps we can all take to better conserve, protect, and restore the natural environment. |
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Environmentally responsible behaviors
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University of Vermont, Environmental Program
Fall 2012, Fall 2013 What motivates human behavior? Why do people behave the ways they do with respect to the environment? How might we influence or encourage environmentally responsible behaviors within the UVM student community and beyond? The UVM Eco-Reps Program cultivates environmental responsibility by training student leaders to promote sustainable practices at the university and encourage environmentally responsible behaviors among peers. This course complements Eco-Reps work on campus by providing a structured format to critically think about these topics. Students taking this class must be accepted into the Eco-Reps Program, in which they work as paid part-time employees of the university. |
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Campus sustainability
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University of Vermont, Environmental Program
Spring 2011, Spring 2012 This service-learning course focuses on key operational aspects of campus sustainability using UVM as a case study. The course explores campus operations through the lens of the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS), a framework of the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). In addition to exploring sustainability throughout the whole campus system, guest lectures, class field trips, readings, and project work are organized around eight aspects of campus operation: buildings, climate, dining services, energy, grounds, transportation, waste, and water. The class explores the current state of each aspect and identifies opportunities to improve operations based on best management practices. Emphasis is placed on the mapping, communication, and presentation of campus sustainability aspects. |
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sustainability leadership
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University of Vermont, Environmental Program and Continuing Education
Summer 2011, Summer 2012 We stand at a critical moment in Earth’s history; a time when humanity faces significant challenges and opportunities to redirect our course toward a sustainable and desirable future. Colleges, universities, and other institutions must play a critical role in this transformation, not only by training and educating future leaders and supporting researchers in the quest for applied solutions, but also by serving as models of innovative practices and sustainable systems, campuses, and communities. This week-long course offers participants the opportunity to focus on this important challenge, expand their professional network, and learn from leaders in the field at UVM’s award-winning green campus. |
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other teaching experience
Course Instructor, Bisk Education, 2011
Developed and filmed an online course for a certificate in Sustainability Leadership
Teaching Assistant, University of Vermont
o Ecological Economics (graduate-level foundations course), Fall 2009
o Economics of Sustainability, Spring 2009
o Race & Culture in Natural Resources, Fall 2008
Biodiversity Educator, 2006-2007
Taught biodiversity planning, remote sensing, and land use policy with decision-makers in the 10-county region of the Hudson River Estuary in New York
Math Instructor, City College of San Francisco, 2003-2004
Taught calculus, college algebra, geometry, and basic math to junior college students
Developed and filmed an online course for a certificate in Sustainability Leadership
Teaching Assistant, University of Vermont
o Ecological Economics (graduate-level foundations course), Fall 2009
o Economics of Sustainability, Spring 2009
o Race & Culture in Natural Resources, Fall 2008
Biodiversity Educator, 2006-2007
Taught biodiversity planning, remote sensing, and land use policy with decision-makers in the 10-county region of the Hudson River Estuary in New York
Math Instructor, City College of San Francisco, 2003-2004
Taught calculus, college algebra, geometry, and basic math to junior college students
Selected Presentations
2019 “Science Informing Policy: Responsible Decision Making.” (Session co-organizer and moderator). American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C. February 15.
2018 “Applications and Opportunities of Natural Capital Accounting for Decision Making.” (Session organizer and presenter). A Community on Ecosystem Services Conference (ACES), Washington, D.C. December 5.
2018 “Policy Engagement.” (Invited plenary presentation). Speaking Science Conference, University of Minnesota. January 21.
2017 “Opportunities and priorities for ecosystem services in federal decision-making.” (Session organizer and presenter). American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting, Boston, MA. February 18.
2017 “Uncovering the links between healthy ecosystems and health communities.” (Session co-organizer). National Council for Science and the Environment Annual Conference, Washington, D.C. January 25.
2016 “The impact of boundary organizations.” Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences, Washington, D.C. June 9.
2015 “What explains the impact of ecosystem services knowledge on decisions?” The Natural Capital Symposium, Stanford, CA. March 23.
2014 "Evaluating the impact of ecosystem services science: enabling conditions for linking knowledge with action. Society for Conservation Biology, University of Montana, MT. July 15.
2013 "Encouraging and modeling policies and practices for a sustainable world." US Society for Ecological Economics, University of Vermont, VT. June 10.
2013 "Ecological economics and the Vermont GPI." Invited talk for The Vermont Leadership Institute, Grafton, VT. March 15.
2012 "The economic science-policy interface." Strategies for a New Economy Conference, Bard College, NY. June 10.
2018 “Applications and Opportunities of Natural Capital Accounting for Decision Making.” (Session organizer and presenter). A Community on Ecosystem Services Conference (ACES), Washington, D.C. December 5.
2018 “Policy Engagement.” (Invited plenary presentation). Speaking Science Conference, University of Minnesota. January 21.
2017 “Opportunities and priorities for ecosystem services in federal decision-making.” (Session organizer and presenter). American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting, Boston, MA. February 18.
2017 “Uncovering the links between healthy ecosystems and health communities.” (Session co-organizer). National Council for Science and the Environment Annual Conference, Washington, D.C. January 25.
2016 “The impact of boundary organizations.” Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences, Washington, D.C. June 9.
2015 “What explains the impact of ecosystem services knowledge on decisions?” The Natural Capital Symposium, Stanford, CA. March 23.
2014 "Evaluating the impact of ecosystem services science: enabling conditions for linking knowledge with action. Society for Conservation Biology, University of Montana, MT. July 15.
2013 "Encouraging and modeling policies and practices for a sustainable world." US Society for Ecological Economics, University of Vermont, VT. June 10.
2013 "Ecological economics and the Vermont GPI." Invited talk for The Vermont Leadership Institute, Grafton, VT. March 15.
2012 "The economic science-policy interface." Strategies for a New Economy Conference, Bard College, NY. June 10.
