I teach the way I do research: participatory, grounded in learners' own contexts, and oriented toward action. Students in my classrooms move between concrete experience, reflection, and application — whether they are mapping a community system, drafting an extension article, or working through the ethics of authorship.
Across undergraduate and graduate courses I have served as instructor of record, teaching assistant, and invited instructor, and I have contributed to curriculum development for courses on toxic leadership and systems thinking pedagogy.
Courses taught
ALCE 3624 · Fall 2025
Communicating Agriculture in Writing
Virginia Tech · Undergraduate, in person
Helps students develop the written communication skills needed to reach the general public and audiences across food, agriculture, and natural resources, including publication and authorship.
- 59 students
ALCE 4304 · Fall 2024
Community Education and Development
Virginia Tech · Undergraduate, in person
Explores the cultural and sociopolitical contexts of community education and development: historical and contemporary definitions of community development, principles of community education for sustainable development, ethics in community organizing, and participatory development processes.
- Introduced participatory activities and mind mapping into the course
- 13 students
ALS 5324 · Fall 2024
Research Ethics in Agriculture & Life Sciences
Virginia Tech · Graduate, online and in person
Covers principles of research ethics for professional preparation in agriculture and the life sciences, including ethical mentoring relationships and ethical considerations in publication and authorship.
- Coordinated guest speakers from across campus
- Provided feedback on student assignments and coordinated the online (Zoom) class experience
- 70+ students
Invited teaching
ALCE 5740 · Fall 2024
Systems Thinking Pedagogy Practices
Virginia Tech · Graduate, in person
Explores strategies that promote systems thinking in formal and non-formal educational and community contexts, instructional design for developing systems thinkers, and systems approaches to understanding problematic situations and creating change through agricultural, community-based, and extension education.