My teaching philosophy connects the classroom to experiential learning. I strive to create a learning environment that draws on student backgrounds and interests. I root each course in ethically grounded applied anthropology and encourage an interdisciplinary outlook with a local-global lens. I share my field experiences as much as possible, especially with my current projects, to assist students in understanding potential careers in anthropology and the ethical implications of this work. I promote student projects that engage the Portland metropolitan area and beyond and that provide career exploration. I designed Practicing Anthropology, Applied Anthropology, Environmental Anthropology, and Culture and Ecology as a series for undergraduate and graduate students as well as majors and non-majors to provide a foundation in applied and environmental anthropology with a focus on indigenous peoples and contemporary environmental issues. I also encourage students to develop internships to complement these courses.
