Teaching
My overarching teaching goal is to help my students see themselves as scientists. This is important because it promotes diversity in science. Once students see themselves as scientists, the instructor is no longer the only viable template for what a scientist looks like. Anyone can be a scientist. The main tool I use to achieve this teaching goal is inquiry-based learning. To help students see themselves as scientists, I encourage them to do what scientists do: ask questions, design and conduct experiments to answer those questions, and persuade others of their results in written or verbal form.
Courses taught at Rowan University
EVSC 01.120 Oceans in Crisis
Oceans cover two thirds of Earth’s surface, and are inextricably linked with modern human civilization. Yet human
activities are rapidly changing our oceans at a global scale in ways that make it more difficult for people to use them.
Students in this course will gain an overview of the many human-caused environmental problems that face Earth’s oceans
including but not limited to warming, acidification, over-fertilization, pollution, drilling and mining, and overfishing. To
place these problems in context, students will also gain a basic understanding of how oceans function.
Taught fall semester
EVSC 01.350 Field Methods in Environmental Science
Prerequisite: EVSC/ENST 01202 and EVSC 01110
Students will learn strategies for applying the scientific method in field-based environmental science and gain technical
skills in environmental sample and data collection and sample analysis using a wide range of field and laboratory methods.
The course is structured around a semester-long project to investigate the impact of human activities on natural systems
using Chestnut Branch Creek and the surrounding Rowan University campus as the primary field site. Methods for data
collection will include handheld sensors like DO/pH/salinity probes as well as data loggers that continuously record
parameters like stream water level and temperature. Students will also collect soil and water samples for laboratory-based
analysis of water quality parameters such as nutrient and dissolved gas concentrations. Through this writing intensive (WI)
course, students will author job-relevant documents like a research proposal, a quality assurance project plan (QAPP), and an
EPA-style technical report that all document the semester project.
Taught spring semester
EVSC 01.386 Climate and Coasts
Climate and Coasts is an interdisciplinary course that explores the dynamic relationship between climate change and coastal environments. Students will gain an understanding of the complex interactions of climate and coastal regions, emphasizing the processes shaping coastlines and the ways in which climate change influence coastal ecosystems, communities, and economies. The course will cover a range of topics, including types of coastal environments, sea-level rise, coastal flooding and erosion, storms, and coastal ecosystem resilience. Students will also gain an appreciation for the relationship between humans and coastlines, including strategies for sustainable coastal management in the face of climate change. This course includes a field trip to the New Jersey coast.
Taught fall semester.
EVSC 01.411 Independent Research in Environmental Science
Prerequisite(s): Permission of Instructor
Students will identify an Environmental Science faculty member to supervise an independent research project. Students
will spend roughly the equivalent amount of time working on a research project as required for a typical 3-credit course.
Student may take Research in Environmental Science up to 3 times. Only two may count for upper level electives.
Taught every semester
EVSC 01.412 Research Capstone in Environmental Science
Prerequisite(s): EVSC 01411
In this course, students will follow up on their previous independent research project to interpret their results and present
their findings in written form. Students will meet regularly with their faculty mentor to set goals, evaluate progress, and
receive feedback. In the process, students will learn best practices in scientific writing specific to the field of Environmental
Science. Students are expected to write a manuscript-style undergraduate thesis over the course of the semester.
Taught every semester.