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Teaching Philosophy
Coming Soon
Teaching Experience
I have served as an Assistant in Instruction (AI) for the following undergraduate courses in the Department of Geosciences:
FRS 111 The Ocean Environment
Professor Daniel Sigman
from the Freshman Seminar Handbook:
"It has been said that Earth should be named “Ocean.” The ocean covers most of the Earth’s surface and in many ways dominates the physics, chem-istry, and biology of the environment. Yet the open ocean is an unfamiliar setting to most people. Even for those who study it, the ocean is poorly understood and full of mysteries. In this seminar, we will undertake a hands-on introduction to the ocean sciences. We will combine lectures with computer and laboratory exercises to understand the fundamental workings of the ocean and their significance for Earth as a whole. Topics will include (1) the geologic origins and characteristics of ocean basins, continental margins, and ocean islands, (2) the physical basis of ocean circulation and ocean-atmosphere interactions, (3) the chemical balances of the ocean-atmosphere system and cycles of biologically important elements, (4) the remarkable strategies of marine life and their effects on the global environment, and (5) the history of human activities relating to the sea, as well as constraints on the future.
Central to this course will be a seven-day excursion to the island of Bermuda during the fall recess (from Saturday, October 29, to Sunday, November 6). While only a modest distance from Princeton, the island of Bermuda and the Sargasso Sea surrounding it provide excellent illustrations of many of the processes discussed in the course. We will be based at the Bermuda Biological Station for Research, an institution with an international reputation for studies of the ocean environment. During the trip, students will participate in oceanographic observations and measurements, as they were made during the birth of oceanography and as they are made today. This will include two one-day cruises into the open ocean near Bermuda, a snorkeling-based exercise over a shallow reef environment on the island, field trips to geologic sites that illuminate the origins and history of the island, and laboratory analyses of samples that we collect. Students interested in the course should keep the excursion in mind when planning their fall schedules. (Tuesday 1:30–2:20 p.m., Thursday 1:30–4:20 p.m., plus fall break)"
GEO 322/ENV 322
Biogeochemical Cycles and Global Change
Professor Daniel M. Sigman
Description/Objectives:
An examination of natural biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and other elements, anthropogenic perturbations of these cycles, and climate implications of these perturbations. We discuss the biogeochemistry of ocean and land ecosystems, geochemical cycles of CO2 and other biogenic greenhouse gases, and the role of greenhouse gases in climate. We conclude with an examination of man's impact on the global environment.
GEO 206A
History of the Earth
Professor Michael L. Bender
Description/Objectives:
This course examines about 15 seminal events in natural history, and how those events shaped the modern environment. The first section covers the origin of the Universe, chemical elements, and solar system. After a discussion of the structure and dynamics of the Earth, we next examine the origin of life, evolution of eukaryotic cells and multicellularity, the evolution of vertebrates (amphibians, dinosaurs, and mammals), and mass extinctions. The final section discusses the origin of man, the ice ages, and global change.
GEO 499
Investigating Natural Hazards
Professor Gregory E. van der Vink
Description/Objectives:
We evaluate our vulnerability to natural hazards and the impact of disasters to the United States and the developing world. In particular, we explore what constitutes a natural disaster & predict the future humanitarian, economic, & political impact of such events given changes in sea level, climate variations, & demographic trends. Students will work in teams to assess risk and to develop economically realistic & scientifically sound policy recommendations. The results of the class will be submitted for publication, and the class will present their analysis to the appropriate policy-makers and/or business leaders.
Reading/Writing Assignments: Each week students distribute their results to the class and identify tasks for the following week. Students make extensive use of GIS and other methods of displaying quantitative information.
Update: 03/20/07
GEO 499 is travelling to the 2007 AGU joint assembly in Acapulco, Mexico!
See the abstract for our paper in preparation titled "Democracy, GDP, and the Impact of Natural Disasters"
Update: 10/10/07
The class publication is featured in the October 2007 issue of Geotimes magazine. See it here and a news release here - picked up by the Miami Herald here and in Spanish here
Research Advising
Summer 2007
coadvisor w/ Daniel Sigman for Mathis Hain - undergraduate student at Potsdam GFZ
project: Integration of N2 fixation and Denitrification into the Cyclops ocean geochemical model: examining deep ocean variations in the oxygen isotopic composition of NO3.
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