People working in academia often lament that we speak of “teaching burdens” but “research opportunities.” That’s not the way I see it. To me, teaching is my opportunity to help pass on knowledge to the next generation of students, and I both enjoy and highly value it as part of my academic experience. Teaching, to me, is a calling: that rare, rare intersection of what I enjoy, what I am good at, and what gives me a sense of meaning and purpose.
My pedagogy draws on evidence-based active learning strategies which emphasize discussion and classroom participation over passive lectures. Students can expect debates, simulations, and small-group brainstorming activities, delivered in a focused and organized style that ensures the topic of discussion always circles back to course learning objectives. My own small liberal arts education deeply shaped who I am today, and it also gave me formative lessons on what a good (or bad) seminar looks like. But don’t take my word for it—see what my students have to say.
My success in teaching earned me UC Berkeley’s Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award in 2021, and in 2023, I was recognized as Student Staff Member Of-The-Month for the US Pacific Region by the NRHH after a student’s nomination. And I continue seeking new ways to improve. Even before arriving on campus, I have worked closely with DKU’s Center for Teaching and Learning to continue improving my teaching. In 2024 I completed DKU’s Learning Innovation Fellowship, and in 2026 I will graduate our First-Year Faculty Colloquium with a Certificate in Innovative Curriculum Design and Pedagogy.
I am always happy to share advice and resources with other faculty and graduate students, including at other institutions. There’s no “secret sauce” here – if you’re interested in recommendations, advice, or basic teaching materials, feel free to send me an email. I have also presented at two recent teaching conferences: APSA-TLC in Washington, DC, 2024, and “Education in the Age of Generative AI” at NYU Shanghai in 2025.