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My Teaching Philosophy, Goals, and Methods

I am actively involved in teaching, advising, and mentoring graduate students and visiting scientists.  These activities allow me to interact with bright, future minds. I consider it a privilege to introduce students to my area of expertise, and to provide them with the knowledge and skills they will need to succeed and accomplish their academic and professional career goals.

 Teaching is important to me for two reasons.  First, I am eager to educate students about the complex interactions among soil processes, water quality, and environmental sustainability.  Second, soil is one of our most important natural resources, thus all forms of soil pollution should be prevented or corrected.  Increasing our knowledge and understanding of soil biogeochemical processes as well as environmental and societal needs for soil resources are necessary to sustain and manage soils for future generations.

 My philosophy and approach to teaching is based on my own experiences while I was an undergraduate and a graduate student and post-doctoral researcher. During these times, I had numerous opportunities to develop my teaching skills within a variety of settings in different countries/continents.  I have come to realize that great teachers explain things, are enthusiastic about the subject matter, and inspire their students to become leaders in their field. 

I attempt to synthesize, evaluate, and integrate the latest research findings to introduce students to a variety of topics in the subject matter. I firmly believe that teaching is a holistic endeavor where a teacher strives to inspire students in their academic and professional pursuits.  No one method suits all learners; instead, a combination of techniques including practical examples, individual and group projects, interactive discussions, and one-on-one communication ensure effective learning for all students.

I prefer an evolving teaching philosophy and dynamic instructional style to meet the needs of students with diverse academic, cultural, and regional backgrounds. I maintain high expectations of all students, and I am always ready to work with individuals who may need extra assistance to succeed.

My goal as a teacher and academic advisor is to provide students with the necessary skills and knowledge that will allow them to become outstanding professionals and productive members of society. Towards this end, I emphasize that students not only learn content, but that they also develop problem-solving, technical writing, and critical thinking skills.

 

Current Teaching Activities

Every Spring semester, I teach:
 Undergraduate course, SWS4932: Urban Soil and Water Systems
Graduate course, SWS 6932: Urban Soil and Water Systems

Each semester, my MS and PhD students are also enrolled under my supervision for the following research based courses:
SWS 6905: Special Problems (non-thesis research)
SWS 6910: Supervised Research (service requirement)
SWS 6940: Supervised Teaching (teaching requirement)
SWS 6971: Master's Research
SWS 7979: Advanced Research
SWS 7980: Doctoral Research

I’m currently developing a course “Urban Soil and Water Systems” that will be offered via Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform COURSERA (www.coursera.com) beginning Spring 2014 semester. To learn about MOOC, check this YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eW3gMGqcZQc#