Teaching Philosophy

Whether in a classroom, on site, in the field working research, or offering mentorship in the between hours, my approach to education is consistent -- I want to help students develop the skills necessary to continue developing as lifelong learners long after they have graduated. I believe that my time is best spent developing curiosity, critical thinking, and engineering confidence; in that order. 

To create meaningful learning experiences for my students, I work to introduce new concepts by relating new information to existing understanding, or lack thereof. This practice is particularly effective when teaching civil engineering due to the prevalence of public projects in every corner of the globe as well as just outside (and inside!) our classroom doors.

My hope is that students see the world differently when they leave my classes. I consider a successful student one who forces their loved ones to stop and look at an active construction site. Likewise, there is no better feeling than having previous students send photos of cool civil engineering projects happening at or near their first USAF assignment.