Teaching

I teach a wide range of both Graduate and Undergraduate Courses in theory, method, writing, and regionally focused areas. I have had the privilege of learning about better pedagogy as a staff member at the Eberly Center for Teaching at Carnegie Mellon University and as a Faculty Fellow at UIC's Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence. 

 I follow the philosophy of an influential teacher of mine who reminded me that the best teachers are those who are “the guides on the side rather than the sage on the stage.” To be this guide that inspires and encourages students, and provides them with practical skills for graduate study or the workplace, one must move between several roles each of which increases or decreases in importance at different points of a student’s career. Additionally, the subject matter in which one is an expert is important to strong student learning outcomes. However, equally important is attention to communicative strategies, recognition of how diverse students learn, and openness to different modes of interaction to enhance how students with different learning styles and different experiences can engage with subject matter. Preparation and patience are vital to these activities, as are kindness, empathy, and close attention to the different pressures students need to navigate. Some examples of courses I have offered over the last 10 years are below: 

ANTH 594: Proseminar in Writing and Publishing (Graduate)

ANTH 501: Social and Cultural Theory II (Graduate)

ANTH 594: Ethnography of the State (Graduate)

GEOG 161: Introduction to Economic Geography (Undergraduate)

ANTH 411: Urban Cultural Problems (Undergraduate/Graduate)

ANTH 494: Ethnographic Approaches to Politics (Undergraduate/Graduate)

ANTH 418: Ethnographic and Qualitative Research Methods (Undergraduate/Graduate)

ANTH 207: Global Asian Cities (Undergraduate)

SALC 28510: Bombay/Mumbai: Urban Life/Urban Politics (Undergraduate)