Teaching

My teaching philosophy is that students should learn to approach the world with scientists' minds. The mind of the scientist critically evaluates observations and data, makes hypotheses, and tests ideas. To this end, I help students develop scientific literacy, avoid rote memorization in favor of developing more thorough understandings, communicate their interpretations of science, and learn to make connections about what they experience in my classroom with the larger world around them.

Recent Courses Taught

GEOL 102 - Introduction to Geology
GEOL 111 - The Earth!
GEOL 113 - The Earth! Laboratory
GEOL 325 - Minerals and Rocks
GEOL 330 - Mineralogy
GEOL 430 - Optical Mineralogy
GEOL 432 - Crystallography
GEOL 475 - Advanced Analytical
GEOS 510 - The Rietveld Method