Teaching Philosophy
My distinct teaching style centers on removing students' fear of uncertainty, fostering critical thinking, and elevating the role of engineering in social justice. I emphasize the following:
Critical thinking and critical problem solving: I refrain from assigning problems that can easily be found online or in the back of a textbook, which you might be accustomed to in engineering classes. My aim is to prepare students for real-world situations, where answers are not always clear-cut. The problems we tackle in class are complex, requiring students to reason through their logic and convince me that their proposed solution is suitable.
Challenging oneself and making mistakes: Many of us hesitate to try new things due to the fear of imperfection. I provide challenging exercises but grade leniently, as long as you are willing to make an attempt. As an undergraduate, I often froze up due to the fear of failure, which ultimately hindered my progress. It’s essential that we do not fear making mistakes; they are a part of the learning process.
Collaboration: Science and engineering are not isolated endeavors. I integrate group projects and collaborative work into my courses, where students’ interactions with their teammates will have a real impact on their grades, where collaboration is rewarded and egos are penalized. Some classes may involve collaboration with local communities, highlighting the importance of respecting the expertise of community members, regardless of their academic background. I firmly believe in breaking down the ivory tower.
Subjectivity in Science and Engineering: I stress the importance of learning to read and interpret data and highlight that science and engineering are not entirely objective fields but are influenced by societal contexts and the backgrounds of those analyzing the data.
Engineering and social justice: Each of my courses includes reflective assignments that ask you to think about how the topics we cover relate to real-world issues and social justice. Engineering should not be viewed as isolated from the world around us.
Active learning: My classes are not lectures where I simply stand at the front; they actively engage you in the learning process. I often employ cold-calling and expect everyone to be present and engaged. While some students find this approach intimidating, it ultimately helps enhance their skills.
Understanding Scientific Literature: Reading and interpreting scientific literature, and situating your results within the context of existing research, are crucial skills, even when working on problem sets. Students must be willing to step back from the problem at hand and ask, "Does this answer make sense? Is there evidence supporting this?"
Courses taught
CEE 151: Introduction to Water Resources Engineering (every other year)
CEE 107: Environmental Fluid Mechanics
CEE 251E: Environmental Data Analysis
CEE 188L (subject to a change in course number): Community-Focused Data Science Lab