University of Colorado at Boulder

 

Appointments

 

2013 – Current  

Instructor, University of Colorado at Boulder

Department of Geography

Courses: Biogeography, Environmental Systems 1: Climate and Vegetation

 

2009 –  Current

Teaching Assistant, University of Colorado at Boulder

Department of Geography

Courses: Environment and Culture, Natural Hazards, World Regional Geography

 

________________________________________________________________

 

Geography 3351: Biogeography

Biogeography is the study of the spatial patterns of biological diversity, and its causes, both past and present. Biogeographers synthesize information from a very broad range of fields such as ecology, physiology, geology, limnology, paleontology, and climatology, and use these to understand species’ distributions.  This course will provide the ecological and historical foundations for understanding the distribution and abundance of species over time.   By the end of the course, students are able to critically examine patterns of species’ distributions using key terms and concepts learned throughout the semester.  A major goal of the course is to engage students in conversations about global biodiversity and the processes affecting biological diversity.

 

Geography 1001: Environmental Systems 1 - Climate and Vegetation 

The objective of this course is to provide an introduction and overview of the Earth’s climate system and vegetation. Throughout the course, linkages and feedbacks are emphasized between the non-living (abiotic) and living (biotic) components of the climate system, with a focus on spatial distributions. Topics discussed include radiation, temperature, winds and pressure, the water cycle, biogeochemical cycles, vegetation, and climate change. This course prepares students for subsequent, more specialized courses in climatology, hydrology, and biogeography (ecosystems and cycles). This is a natural science course, so graphs and calculations will be used to help understand topics. The mathematics involved is not above the high school algebra level.  This course has a mandatory lab component.

 

Geography 2412: Environment and Culture

This is a nature-society course that addresses contemporary environmental issues at the local, regional, and global scale. During the semester, students will engage in conversations about a wide variety of environmental problems and how these problems are understood hrough a social, policital, and economic lens. Through lectures, readings, and in-depth discussions, students learn to unpack assumptions and to think critically about nature-society relationships.  

 

Geography 3402: Natural Hazards

Natural Hazards are disasters that are beyond human control and often strike without warning, affecting populations accross the globe. This class emphasizes human vulnerability, preparadness, mitigation techniques, and recovery from natural disasters with a social science approach rather than a physical science approach.  While some aspects of the physical side of disasters are explored such as hurricane, flood, and earthquake processes, the main goal is to examine the human dimension to understand how people perceive and respond to hazards.  Human understandings of "risk" and "hazard" is contemplated in depth.

 

Geography 1982: World Regional Geography

This course takes students on an intellectual journey around the globe, stopping at major regions to study the people, their environments, and how they interact.  Topics may include the political/economic tensions in changing Europe, conflicts in Israel, transitions facing African peoples, and rapid changes in China. Globalization proccesses and its effects on local cultures and economies is a main focus of this course.