Teaching
NRES 325: Natural Resource Policy and Management
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
NRES 325: Natural Resource Policy and Management
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- This course introduces undergraduate students to natural resource and environmental policy. Students study a variety of policy and management tools, such as zoning, land acquisition, regulations and incentive programs. This course surveys policy across multiple levels of government (federal, state, and municipal) as well as in relation to nonprofit organizations and collaborative partnerships. It ends by assessing US policy in the context of international environmental agreements and initiatives. The overall course goal is to prepare students to engage in the policy-making process as professionals and concerned community members by building foundational knowledge on environment and natural resource policy.
- I taught this course as the instructor of record in Spring 2022, and I was the teaching assistant for the course in Spring 2018-2021 and Spring 2023.
Teaching philosophy
- Students interested in working on local and global environmental problems need to develop the ability to communicate across disciplines and collaborate with diverse groups of people. I focus on teaching through applied case studies and student-based co-construction of ideas. To help students build these skills, my teaching philosophy centers on two core tenets:
- (1) guiding students through the learning process together to develop applied skills and strong teamwork experience, and
- (2) cultivating an inclusive classroom where students feel supported to express their ideas and interact with diverse perspectives that can broaden their worldviews as they move forward into careers in environmental science.