Teaching Overview

International Relations, Comparative Politics, Research Methods

My teaching interests are broad and diverse. I have guest lectured on topics ranging from American federalism, the politics of cannabis, to conflict in the former Soviet Union. Two courses I have taught so far include an intensive summer course introducing the study of conflict and peace, and a survey of varying political systems observed around the world. Details for these courses can be found in the modules towards the end of this page. My teaching interests cover international relations, comparative politics, and research methods.

In tandem with my dissertation topic, I am currently developing curricula for a course called "Inside Civil War" where students learn about the emergence and behaviors of rebel groups, how governments respond to challenges to their sovereignty, how government-rebel interactions result in varying forms of violence, and the impact of war on local communities.

I also have a long-standing interest in post-Soviet affairs. My "Russian Foreign Policy" course (also under construction) introduces students to modern Russian politics, examines the impact of Soviet legacies on ethnic relations, and surveys the country's activities in the Near Abroad with a special emphasis on conflicts that have embroiled places like Transnistria, Donbas, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and Nagorno-Karabach since the collapse of the USSR. Drawing from my own experiences studying in Moscow, I provide students with Russian scholarship/theories along the way to make sure students are getting a complete perspective.

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While I have always been tech-savvy, I hated mathematics in high school and college. "When am I ever going to use this?" My first year of graduate school changed everything. Now I am passionate about getting students excited (okay, trying to get students excited) about research methods, mathematics, statistics, data analysis, and how these "hard" skills can be applied to their own projects, hobbies, used to explore their own interests, and provide a benefit on the job market. I look forward to opportunities to teach introductory methods courses that will be as useful to aspiring practitioners and "this course was required" students as these types of courses typically are to those considering graduate school themselves.

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Finally, I understand the importance of getting students engaged in introductory courses on American politics and government. I've served as a teaching assistant for 15 of these courses and am able to teach them as well.