Courses I have taught and am developing.

Anthropology of the United States
Taught Spring 2017

This mid-level seminar takes an anthropological approach to understanding the contemporary United States. Studying one’s own culture presents a unique set of challenges; this course uses the lens of foodways to guide students’ inquiries. Students use a range of activities to understand how Americans’ experiences with food intersect their varied identities—classed, raced, ethnic, gendered, to name but a few. The second half of the course explores the systems of food production underpinning these cultural experiences and considers what it means to “eat American.”

50 Shades of Gray (Areas)
Taught Fall 2017, Spring 2018

This collaboratively taught interdisciplinary seminar introduces first-year students to the range of research designs that can be used 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 module asked students to engage with the ethnographic process through a field trip, practicing observations, and self-reflection assignments.

Global Sustainable Food Systems
Under development

Drawing from anthropology, economics, nutrition, and agronomy, this upper-level course teaches the interconnected challenges of contemporary food production and gives students tools to imagine innovative solutions. Specific issues include food access and equity, greenhouse gas emissions from livestock production, corporate consolidation, and rural livelihoods. Throughout, the course also highlights food system connections between the Global North and Global South.