Teaching

What I like best about being in the classroom is watching the “lightbulb moments” — when students grappling with a difficult question or concept have a moment of clarity that moves their understanding forward. My primary goal as an educator is to create an environment in which students are inspired to explore big, important questions about the world, and in which all students feel empowered to engage and contribute. Because I recognize that student learning starts with me, I always strive to be organized, enthusiastic, and creative.

I am committed to self-reflective pedagogy, and in 2019 I received the Teaching Certificate from the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) at the University of Pennsylvania.

Courses — Instructor, Princeton University

POL 554 · International Security Studies

Fall 2026

This class is a seminar devoted to the security studies subfield of international relations. The course has three main objectives: (1) to understand the major theoretical perspectives in security studies and the challenges to providing reliable evidence for or against them; (2) to survey some of the most important substantive areas and debates in the field with an emphasis on recent contributions and policy issues; and (3) to help students initiate one or more of their own research projects so they gain practical experience in elaborating a theoretical argument, drawing out testable implications, assembling and analyzing relevant evidence, and presenting the work.

POL 443 · Violent Non-State Actors in World Politics

Spring 2023, Fall 2024

Violent non-state actors are an increasingly prominent security concern in international relations. Around the world, political violence perpetrated by militants, terrorists, and rebels is a major threat to peace and stability. In this course we examine the politics and strategy of militancy, studying violent non-state actors from several distinct angles to develop a solid understanding of their historical and contemporary role.

POL 392 · American Foreign Policy

Fall 2022, 2023, 2024, Spring 2027

This course analyzes the formation and conduct of foreign policy in the United States. It combines three elements: a study of the history of American foreign relations; an analysis of the causes of American foreign policy, such as the international system, public opinion, and the media; and a discussion of major policy issues in contemporary U.S. foreign policy, including terrorism, civil wars, and economic policy.

POL 300 Practicum · Conducting Independent Research in Political Science

Fall 2023

How does migration shape contemporary politics? This practicum addresses topics of citizenship, immigration, and integration, and their implications for governance and democracy. It aims to provide a comprehensive, research-based understanding of citizenship and migration in a global context, and to introduce students to a wide range of methods, theories, and approaches for studying migration.

POL 240 · International Relations

Spring 2024, 2025, Fall 2026

An introduction to the major theories and issues in international politics. The course aims to give students a broad familiarity with the field of international relations and to help them develop the analytical skills necessary to think critically about international politics. It is divided into four parts: (1) Concepts and Theories of International Relations; (2) War and Security; (3) The Global Economy; and (4) Emerging Issues in International Relations.

Courses — Teaching Assistant, University of Pennsylvania

  • American Foreign Policy — Spring 2019 (Instructor: Dominic Tierney)
  • Introduction to International Relations — Fall 2018 (Instructor: Edward Mansfield); Fall 2017 (Instructor: Alex Weisiger)
  • International Security — Spring 2018 (Instructor: Avery Goldstein)