My strong passion for teaching began during my undergraduate years at Smith College in Northampton, where I served as a teaching assistant for an introductory English course in my second year and as a Persian Calligraphy instructor in my senior year. Later in my career, I taught global health and public health courses at the University of Maryland (UMD) for three years during my Ph.D. program. Currently, I teach global health courses at Denison University, and I very much enjoy it.
I believe that teaching extends beyond a professor's expertise; it involves the ability to understand students and convey information in a digestible and accessible manner. My teaching approach centers on students, focusing on their individual needs. I achieve this by initially getting to know my students, assessing their existing knowledge, and identifying any necessary accommodations. I also believe that learning is most effective when it goes beyond the classroom, allowing students to apply their knowledge to real-world challenges. Whether through class projects, internships, or community service, I inspire my students to put their liberal arts education into action, preparing them to address the central issues of our time.
Having attended a liberal arts school myself, I cherish an interactive and engaged learning in a fair and respectful environment. I encourage my students to work as teams, exposing them to essential skills such as compromise, collaboration, critical thinking, and incorporating feedback from partners. While an introverted student may not speak up in class, small interactive and collaborative teams can enable all students to contribute and grow personally and academically. Thus, in my course syllabus, I always incorporate group projects, case studies, and student presentations. I also incorporate weekly writing assignments for students to reflect on their learning and improve their writing skills. To motivate students’ learning, I bring my own enthusiasm into the classroom every time and introduce every lecture topic with real-life examples from my job experience in international development at Abt Associates. I also incorporate interesting documentaries, and supplemental articles to make the course more interesting. I prepare thoroughly for every class.
I am currently teaching the following courses at Denison and I happy to share syllabi or other resources upon request.
This course provides an overview of health (physical, mental, and social well-being), diseases prevention, and health promotion from a global perspective, with a societal and anthropological focus. Major themes include the status of global morbidity and mortality related to major diseases; the socioeconomic and environmental determinants of health; mental health, nutrition, maternal and child health, and health disparities; as well as the funding and implementation of global health programs and initiatives (Please see the summary of the course schedule on page 6). Concurrently, as global citizens, we will explore our own cultures, health, world-views, and interconnectedness on this planet.
Given the significant role and impact of globalization, this course will also help students explore their interests in global health and potential career opportunities available through both private and public sectors in the U.S. and around the world.
This course provides a general introduction to the basic research methods employed in public/global health and health sciences. Students will learn several conceptual and practical research skills necessary to evaluate, for example, whether social and environmental factors (e.g., stress) are associated with health or diseases (e.g., diabetes). Student groups will be able to design a research question of their interest, develop a survey instrument, collect and analyze data, and write a research paper. Tuesdays will be dedicated to lectures, while Thursdays will be reserved for research project work in class, with Dr. Ibrahimi supporting students and providing examples.
A solid foundation in research methods is crucial for students training to become researchers, health consultants, public and global health professionals, policy analysts, and others in interdisciplinary careers. Thus, this course will also help students explore their interests in global health research and potential career opportunities available in the U.S. and around the world.
This course delves into key topics and issues in Maternal and Child Health (MCH) globally. Major themes include reproductive health, pregnancy and fetal health, birth and maternal health, and infant and child health. The course will explore the social, biological, political, environmental, economic, and behavioral factors that influence the health of women, children, and families around the world. Using the core disciplines of global health—epidemiology, health policy and administration, and social and behavioral health—the course will also examine specific issues, disparities, and interventions within a social ecological and life course framework.
Given that maternal and child health is one of the key branches of global and public health, this course will help students explore their interests in MCH and the potential career opportunities available in both the private and public sectors in the U.S. and around the world. Knowledge of MCH is valuable for pursuing several career paths, including medicine, healthcare administration, health policy, research, health consultancy, social work, and more.