TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
As an undergraduate student, I often felt that many academic exercises were simply 'busy work', leaving me feeling unfulfilled. Conversely, I enjoyed and often felt inspired by projects and assignments presented (or promoted) as part of the ‘real world.’ As my education progressed, I realized much of what I considered ‘busy work’ focused on honing a core understanding of principles, while often lacking a clear connection to why those principles mattered in an applied context. Driven by that distinction, I strive to bring the ‘real world’ to my classroom -- drawing parallels between principles learned in classroom assignments with a current applications in the field. I achieve this objective through discussion and hands-on learning opportunities characterized by (1) integrating and engaging in research, (2) engaging professional partners, (3) navigating complex issues through service-learning, and (4) developing applied responses to local issues of concern.
Learning bird banding techniques from master bander Dr. Ross Conover.
Exploring early successional forest and wildlife habitat restoration with Lyme Timber Company.
Hands-on learning during the annual island bio-geography lab.