Student-Centered Learning
Acknowledging that students come from diverse backgrounds and start
at different levels is central to my teaching philosophy. A
student-centered approach requires understanding and addressing their
varied goals and needs. I set flexible learning objectives that provide
both a low entry point and high expectations. The flexibility allows
students to focus on core concepts while maintaining the space to pursue
advanced topics with my full support.
Learning as An Opportunity for Personal Growth
Teaching offers valuable opportunities for educators to grow and
continuously refine their approach by understanding students’ evolving
needs. In courses on planning and public administration, teaching
requires addressing both broad and specific challenges, as students
often raise questions that challenge conventional practices. Rather than
providing direct answers, it is important to encourage students to
explore their curiosities and engage in self-directed research. This
approach values critical inquiry and deep engagement over unreflective
responses. Additionally, fostering a supportive academic community is
essential. I have been deeply involved in promoting graduate student
growth and resilience, co-directing initiatives like the Graduate
Student Collective, which provided resources and opportunities for
interdisciplinary collaboration, skill-building, and professional
development. Through this, I aim to contribute to the personal and
academic development of students, both inside and outside the
classroom.
Adaptability in Learning
To make learning more accessible, I offered various formats including
synchronous and asynchronous options with recorded lectures, to
accommodate diverse student needs, particularly those facing
transportation or health issues like Covid.
Courses Taught
- PUAD 332 - Quantitative Method in Public Administration
- Designed and taught the course alone.
- Course description: this course focuses on building the
quantitative analysis skills of students in public administration.
Students learn basic and intermediate statistics, and methods of data
analysis and interpretation. Students gain exposure to the uses of data
in public organizational settings.
- Urban Planning 200 - Sustainability
- Co-taught the course.
- Course description: this course introduces the concept of
sustainability, examining its early iterations, recent applications, and
possible future transformations. Critical analysis of sustainability as
a concept and societal goal will be a course cornerstone. We examine two
contemporary social issues that are relevant to students at the
University of Kansas. Social science perspectives are emphasized, but,
because sustainability necessitates an interdisciplinary perspective,
the course considers the contributions of a wide range of disciplines to
these issues.
- Urban Planning 710 - Housing Policy and Planning
- Co-taught the course.
- Course description: this course explores contemporary U.S.
housing issues and introduces the various methods used by the public
sector as it intervenes in housing markets. Governments at all levels
employ many different approaches to achieve housing goals. This course
will examine many of these approaches to help students understand what
these housing programs are supposed to accomplish and how well they
work. In all cases, the objective of the course is to educate planners
so that they have a firm understanding of housing programs that exist
and a grasp of the methods used to select housing strategies for
implementation by the public sector.
- Public Administration 836 - Data Informed Decision-Making
- Served as Graduate Teaching Assistant.
- Course description: this course examines an array of data
analysis tools that, when mastered, will increase students’ abilities to
analyze, synthesize, think creatively, solve problems, and make
decisions. It covers concepts of research design, probability,
inferential statistics, and introduces quantitative approaches to
examine public management and public policy decisions.