Teaching Philosophy

As an environmental and sustainability educator, my primary goal is to cultivate higher-order thinking and interdisciplinary problem-solving skills. I help students build a solid foundation in both fundamental and advanced data science techniques by integrating hands-on training with open source software and cyberinfrastructure tools. My courses engage students in designing studies, validating assumptions, and selecting analytical methods tailored to real-world environmental challenges. I also incorporate big data analytics and AI-powered coding into the curriculum, providing essential sample code and datasets as open textbooks. This approach equips students to address complexities in data collection, sampling, and modeling, preparing them to become independent researchers.

Mentoring

Mentorship is a means of supporting students on their journey to becoming independent, successful researchers. In mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, I provide timely feedback and constructive comments while ensuring clear communication across diverse gender, racial, cultural, and educational backgrounds. I support students and community members in developing practical data science skills that are essential for success in environmental and sustainability science.