I have an inclusive teaching style that emphasizes experiential learning, comparative approaches, and systems thinking.
At Arizona State University, I regularly teach online and in-person sections of "Fundamentals of Sustainable Food Systems" and "The Sustainable Plate," offered through the School of Sustainability in the College of Global Futures. Taught consecutively, these two courses are the gateway to the Sustainable Food Systems undergraduate major. See below for course summaries and outcomes.
SOS/SFS/AGB 215: Fundamentals of Sustainable Food Systems
This course teaches students how to apply a systems perspective to the production, distribution, consumption, and disposal of food. The overarching objectives are to introduce the “food system” concept and to provide a panoramic introduction to the American food and agricultural systems. After defining and operationalizing “food systems,” the course reviews the history of agriculture in North America, with a particular emphasis on establishing the longstanding ecological, political, economic, technological, and racial dynamics that have shaped the trajectory of the United States’ agriculture and continue to influence the agricultural sector today. Through lectures, academic, governmental, and popular readings, short videos, podcasts, and student presentations, the course provides a roadmap to critical food systems issues with an emphasis on understanding their interconnections and histories. Specific topics include the 20th century transformation of US agriculture; prevalence, causes, and solutions for food insecurity; the roles of the USDA, cooperative Extension, and the Farm Bill; US agricultural trade; and the role and importance of non-producer food systems labor including scientists, regulators, manufacturers, processors, and supply chain actors. Review of the basic biophysical processes underlying food production are also covered.
Course Outcomes:
Course Outcomes:
- Introduce “food systems” as a holistic framework for understanding the interconnections between food production, distribution, consumption, and disposal; learn how and why to apply a systems approach to urgent food and farm issues.
- Understand at an early to intermediate level the socio-political, labor/demographic, ecological, and economic forces guiding the historical trajectory of US agriculture, including regional variations and contemporary iterations.
- Explain how the work of the many actors beyond producers and consumers shapes the US food system.
- Grounding in the key biophysical processes underlying food production, including natural resources management, energy flows, and relationships to climate and water systems.
SOS/SFS/AGB 216: The Sustainable Plate
In this class, we examine food systems from the perspective of eaters (or "consumers"). How do dietary choices affect human health and planetary health? How do dietary choices in one place affect people who live in other parts of the world, and the communities they live in? We begin by analyzing the US government MyPlate.gov recommendations for daily nutrition as well as dietary guidance from other countries. How well does government-issued dietary guidance relate to sustainability goals? We then explore the plate by diving into various food groups: fruits and vegetables, fats, oils, sweeteners, grains, protein and alternative protein, dairy, and beverages. For each group, we explore the multidimensional sustainability implications of different choices. From the vantage point of the grocery store, we learn about food marketing and supply chains that that bring some products to the shelf and not others. We explore what causes us to choose certain foods to eat and consider what the most promising ways are of redirecting these choices to better align with sustainability goals. Throughout the course, we discuss the future of food and how to create a sustainable food system. While the course focuses on US food systems, much of what we learn is applicable globally.
Course Outcomes:
Course Outcomes:
- By the end of the course, students should be able to produce and defend with evidence their own definition of a sustainable diet.
- Compare the justification, roles, and metrics of dietary guidelines issued by governments and determine the extent to which sustainability concerns have been present therein.
- Explain up-to-date sustainability considerations most relevant to each of the basic food groups, including human health, environmental, and ethical implications.
- Describe the history of the modern U.S. grocery stores and food supply chains, their current innerworkings, and the ways that the supermarket system affects food system sustainability.
Previous Teaching Experiences
I have enjoyed teaching in-person and online classes at both large research universities and small liberal arts colleges. I have also led graduate workshops on qualitative research methods, tutored K-12 students in math in Ohio, and volunteered as an ESL instructor with Lutheran Services in Iowa. See below for examples of past undergraduate classes I have taught.
|
Environment and Society
Taught Fall 2020 | College of Wooster This online course introduced the central questions, key conceptual frameworks, methods, metrics, and longstanding debates within the field of Environmental Studies. Using contemporary case studies, the course also guides students through recognizing human roles in alternately sparking, exacerbating, curbing, and framing different environmental issues and identifying the motivations of various actors. Syllabus. |
50 Shades of Grey (Areas)
Taught Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 | Emory University
This team-taught interdisciplinary seminar introduced first-year students to the range of methodological approaches that researchers use to create new knowledge. Emphasizing analytical tools to help students push beyond binary thinking, this course was divided into modules highlighting the methodologies of biomolecular chemistry, clinical psychology, women’s studies, and anthropology. My course modules helped students engage with the ethnographic process through field trips, practicing observations and interviews, and guided reflection.
Taught Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 | Emory University
This team-taught interdisciplinary seminar introduced first-year students to the range of methodological approaches that researchers use to create new knowledge. Emphasizing analytical tools to help students push beyond binary thinking, this course was divided into modules highlighting the methodologies of biomolecular chemistry, clinical psychology, women’s studies, and anthropology. My course modules helped students engage with the ethnographic process through field trips, practicing observations and interviews, and guided reflection.
Anthropology of the United States
Taught Spring 2017 | Emory University
This mid-level seminar took an anthropological approach to understanding the contemporary United States. Studying one’s own culture presents a unique set of challenges; this course used the lens of foodways to guide students’ inquiries. Students used a range of activities to understand how Americans’ experiences with food intersect their layered identities. The second half of the course explores the systems of food production underpinning these cultural experiences and considers what it means to “eat American.”
Taught Spring 2017 | Emory University
This mid-level seminar took an anthropological approach to understanding the contemporary United States. Studying one’s own culture presents a unique set of challenges; this course used the lens of foodways to guide students’ inquiries. Students used a range of activities to understand how Americans’ experiences with food intersect their layered identities. The second half of the course explores the systems of food production underpinning these cultural experiences and considers what it means to “eat American.”
