Understanding the fate of contaminants in the environment is crucial to protecting our communities and ecosystems.
Assistant Professor
I teach because I hated hearing the phrase “I’ll never use this in real life.” I’m passionate about showing students how the concepts, knowledge, and skills they develop in my classes can be applied to their future endeavors. I also teach because I enjoy learning just as much from my students as they learn from me.
I’m most interested in the complex relationship between the chemistry of contaminants and the environment. Understanding the fate of contaminants in the environment is crucial to protecting our communities and ecosystems. Particularly, I am most interested in nuclear waste and nuclear contaminants. Due to their unique chemistry and long half-lives, nuclear waste and contaminants create a difficult challenge because any remediation and storage strategy needs to last for upwards of 100,000 years.
While it is not always feasible to implement in every course for every lesson, I like to use the three different phases of learning with each phase increasing understanding and retention: 1) Foundation – have it taught to you, 2) Application – teach yourself, and 3) Mastery – teach others.
I hope my students enhance their critical thinking and problem solving, skills that they will use beyond a single course. Also, I want them to know where to find the tools and resources they may need throughout their careers. Knowing where to find information is far more useful than memorizing material.
I love animals and have two dogs, a pitty mix and a husky mix. My fun hobby (everyone needs one to stay sane) is tennis. I also enjoy reading fantasy books when I can.