Teaching
Whether it is a classroom with four walls, no walls, or virtual walls, I enter the teaching space as a collaborator and partner to my students. Regardless of their age or experience, I believe that each student brings valuable lived experiences and important aspirations to the classroom setting. My goal is to clearly present meaningful examples, concepts, and theories so that students can identify pathways to solve the problems they care about most. My assignments provide creative and nurturing spaces for students to test their ideas and sharpen their skills. I strive to create a warm and welcoming learning environment filled with enthusiasm, curiosity, and energetic discussion. I have experience teaching classes in science and climate change communication, climate change, climate change policy, and actionable science. I have taught in a variety of modalities, including semester long in person and online classes, field schools and place-based learning settings, massive open online courses (MOOC), and hybrid models.
Communicating Science (UAF | STO 401/601)
This course introduces undergraduate and graduate students (primarily in the natural sciences) to the theory and practice of communicating science to audiences outside the scientific community. Students learn to identify audiences, set communication goals, and craft clear, compelling messages across formats. Drawing on communication research, the course emphasizes strategic, audience-centered approaches that students can apply to their own scientific work. Offered online, in both synchronous and asynchronous formats.
Actionable Science in the Arctic (UAF | AlaskaX)
This online course, part of UAF's AlaskaX platform, introduces learners to the principles and practices of actionable science in the Arctic. Participants explore how scientists, decision-makers, and communities work together to co-produce knowledge that supports climate adaptation, and learn frameworks and skills for navigating science-society partnerships. The course is designed for researchers, practitioners, and others wanting to work at the interface of science and decision-making.
Our Changing Climate: Past, Present, Future (UAF | HONR 125)
Co-taught with colleagues across disciplines, this honors course introduces students to the science of climate change and its implications for Alaska, the Arctic, and the world. The course covers the climate system, evidence of past and present change, projections for the future, and the social dimensions of climate adaptation and mitigation. My contributions focus on the communication of climate science and how individuals and communities understand and respond to climate risk.
Climate Change Communication (Yale | Climate Change and Health Certificate)
I direct this 6-week course within Yale School of Public Health's Climate Change and Health Certificate program, designed for working professionals across health, policy, and related fields. The course examines how to communicate effectively about climate change and its health impacts — covering audience research, message framing, narrative strategies, and approaches for engaging diverse communities. Students leave with practical tools and a research-grounded foundation for advancing climate and health communication in their own work.
Exploring the Climate Science Policy Interface in Washington, DC (UAF | Climate Scholars Program Intensive)
This 1-week intensive took UAF Climate Scholars to Washington, DC, to explore how climate science informs federal policy and decision-making. Students meet with scientists, agency staff, congressional offices, and science communication professionals to learn how research moves into policy contexts and how scientists can engage effectively with policymakers. The experience built students' understanding of the science-policy interface and their own potential roles within it.
Climate Change Communication & Advocacy (UAF | Climate Scholars Program Intensive)
Co-taught with colleagues at the Tidelines Institute in Southeast Alaska, this experiential field course brought UAF Climate Scholars together to develop their skills in climate change communication and advocacy. Students explore the relationship between science, storytelling, and public engagement while learning from Alaska-based advocates, and community leaders. The course emphasizes place-based learning and gives students tools to communicate about climate change in their own communities and careers.