Teaching

My teaching philosophy can be summed up in by the motto of the Royal Society of London, one of the first modern scientific societies: Nullius in verba, “On the word of nobody,” or colloquially, “See for yourself.” I believe that people – whether they are six-year-olds wondering why the sky is blue or scientists discovering the laws of physics – learn as a result of self-motivated inquiry and interpretation. As a teacher, imparting historical facts is important, but far more important is encouraging curiosity and helping students learn to ask meaningful questions. My ultimate goal is to enable students to ask and pursue the answers their own questions, and to come to an understanding of history that fundamentally shapes their view of the present.

To me, history is never just a matter of memorizing lists of dead kings and series of events. It is a way of understanding how humanity functions on a level larger than ourselves, of knowing the origins of today, and the various ways humans have tried to fix the problems of their time. What I intend for students to take away from my classes is a self-directed critical thinking, and historical context, to infuse their interactions with news, world affairs, and the society around them. And most importantly, to understand the context of our present-day world so that they can understand how we should move forward toward greater justice for all.

Courses Taught

Alabama A&M University
HIS 501: Historiography (Fall 2022)
HIS 305: Modern Asia (Spring 2023)
HIS 102: World History II (each semester since Fall 2022)
HIS 101: World History I (each semester since Fall 2022)

Tufts University
HIST 0108: Decolonization in Asia (Spring 2022, hybrid)
HIST 0065: Britain and the British Empire (Fall 2020 & 2021, hybrid)
HIST 0162: British Empire and American Nation, from Revolution to Pearl Harbor (Spring 2021, hybrid)

Northeastern University
HIST 2311: Colonialism/Imperialism (Summer 2019 & Spring 2022, hybrid)
HIST 1170: Europe: Empires, Wars, Revolutions, and Their Aftermath [Modern Europe] (Spring 2022, hybrid)
HIST 2301/2: Historical Methods and Writing, Theme: Global Insurrectionary History (Fall 2021, hybrid)
HIST 1219: History of Global Pandemics (Fall 2021, hybrid)
HIST 1215: Origins of Today (Fall 2021, virtual)
INPR 1001: NUStart Seminar 2, Independent Group Project (Spring 2021, virtual)
INPR 1000: NUStart Seminar on Global Social Justice (Fall 2020, virtual)
INPR 1500: Racism and Racial Inequality in the US and World (Fall 2020, virtual)
HIST 2211: The World Since 1945 (Spring 2018, in-person)

Drake University
HIST 001: Passages to the Modern World, 1000-1750 (Spring 2021, virtual)

Quincy College
HIS 101: American History I, 1492 to 1877 (Summer 2021, virtual)
HIS 102: American History II, 1877 to the Present (Summer 2021, virtual)

Courses I Can Teach

Colonialism/Imperialism

Decolonization in Asia

Modern Insurrection

World History to 1500/since 1500

Asia to 1800 (regional, comparative, or global)

Modern Asia (regional, comparative, or global)

Race in the Modern World (regional, comparative, or global)

Capitalism in the Modern World (regional, comparative, or global)

Comparative Genocide

Early Modern/Modern Britain

Early Modern/Modern Europe

The Indian Ocean World

The Islamic World