Teaching
I teach innovative interdisciplinary courses about the environment, cities, journalism, and science communication. Through lectures, peer-to-peer workshops, in-class activities, and project-based learning, students engage multiple perspectives to understand the environment. In the Boston College Core Curriculum, I lead active learning laboratories that teach skills such as data literacy, spatial analysis, case study research, science communication, and creative expression. Below are descriptions of recent courses.
Understanding and Protecting Our Oceans in the Wake of Global Change
Boston College, Spring 2022 and 2023 (Laboratory)
This active learning laboratory taught in conjunction with lectures by Boston College faculty members engaged students in topics related to ocean science, management, and justice. Our labs focused on data literacy, case study analysis, concept mapping, science communication, and urban waterfront exploration.
The Just City: Nature, Environment, and Infrastructure
Boston College, Fall 2022 (Seminar)
Environmental justice has become an increasingly important concept and policy goal. But what is environmental justice and how can it be achieved in a city? The first part of the course focuses on key concepts and ways that environmental historians, ecologists, and social scientists have described and studied urban environments, We then look at urban environmental issues that create social and spatial inequities in quality of life, access to resources, and exposure to risks. With a paired course on historical social justice, students create ArcGIS Story Maps about historical and environmental justice issues in neighborhoods of Boston.
Environmental Journalism: Science, Society, Solutions
Boston College, Spring 2024 (planned Spring 2025) (Seminar)
This course focuses on both practical skills in covering the environment and critical perspectives on environmental journalism. Students choose a topic to cover from multiple angles. We focus on communicating science; exploring social, economic, legal, and justice aspects of environmental issues; and evaluating and reporting on solutions without falling prey to hype.
Crisis and Storytelling in the Age of Climate Change
Boston College, Fall 2024 (Laboratory)
This active learning laboratory taught in conjunction with lectures by Boston College faculty members focused on social science and creative approaches to understanding climate change science and environmental justice, including an urban tree lab, a hands-on ice core lab, and op-ed writing, culminating in a series of scaffolded sessions helping students develop and produce podcasts on local climate issues.