Teaching
My goals as a teacher are that students learn not only learn how to understand and critique the social world but to develop their own perspectives and tools to fight for social change.
In recognition of my passion for teaching, in 2022 I was awarded the Donald J. White Teaching Award from Boston College.
Courses
Research Methods
This course introduces students to systematic methods that organize the research process and multiple forms of research that it includes. The course explains the logic of research design, explores some common forms of data-gathering (such as interviews, surveys, observation, etc.), and examines some methods of data analysis. The course provides basic research skills for use to students as either original producers or critical consumers of social research. By the end of this course, students will: be familiar with the various methods of research utilized in sociology; be able to formulate a research question and hypotheses; be better consumers of academic research and of information in general; and be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Society and Environmental Transformations
Where do contemporary environmental problems come from? Why is it so hard to resolve serious global environmental issues? Are environmental problems really social problems? This course will compel students to explore these questions, to devise answers to them, and to learn how to understand environmental problems with sociological analytical tools and methods. Students will explore the historical origins of the contemporary world, revisit the social and environmental changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution, the World Wars, and the liberalization of capitalism, and, through first-hand research, examine the origins of and potential solutions to one of society’s current environmental problems.
Introductory Sociology
The main goal of this course is to familiarize students at an introductory level with the field of sociology. Students will be introduced to several sociological theories, introductory social science research methods, and various substantive areas within the discipline. Students will learn to critically examine everyday life and apply concepts learned in class to current events.