My teaching encompasses European and international history, science and technology studies, and the history of the global environment.
I currently teach courses in the Department of History and Art History and in the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University.
Previously, I have taught courses at the University of Chicago in the Core Curriculum and at the Institute on the Formation of Knowledge. As a Teaching Fellow at Harvard University, I received a Certificate of Distinction in Teaching based on outstanding student evaluations.
History of the Climate Crisis (HIST 387-DL2)
Human-caused warming of planet Earth is posing unprecedented challenges to global environments and societies. This class asks how the tools of history can help us navigate our present-day climate crisis. How have factors like colonialism, capitalism, and fossil fuel extraction contributed to the emergence of global warming? What resources have helped Earth scientists study the realities of climate change? How have scholars, activists, and concerned citizens worked to make political headway for climate justice in the face of business-as-usual opposition? We will consider a wide variety of historical sources and case studies to build understanding of the intersecting environmental and social emergencies of our time.
Environment and Empire (HIST 615 / 635)
European global expansion has left profound legacies of inequality across our world today, including for the modern United States. In an era of rapid climate change and other ecological crises, imperial pasts are now intruding into our present in new ways. This graduate seminar examines the relationship between imperialism and the environment since early modernity. Taking a global approach, we will reconsider core themes in imperial history—from maritime conquest, settler colonialism, and resource extraction—as part of the longue durée of human-caused environmental change across planet Earth. This course is designed to introduce topics and methods in environmental history for graduate students focusing on any world region.
Environmental Movements (CONF 399)
Environmental movements are on the frontlines of the global transformations reshaping human societies in the twenty-first century. As our species becomes the predominant driver of change in Earth systems, environmentalists seek to harness collective power for a more equitable and sustainable future. This course examines the roots of environmental consciousness, the rise of environmental activism, and the road ahead. Situating examples of environmentalism from around the world in their historical and geographical contexts, we will evaluate the relevance of past campaigns, tactics, and strategies for promoting peace and conflict resolution in our time.