Courses Taught.

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UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
College of Environment and Design
Landscape Architecture Program
2019 - Present

LAND 2220- Design Communication II
LAND 3030- Studio III- Planting Design
​LAND 4250 & 6250- Portfolio Development
LAND 4360- Advanced Ecology
LAND 4380- Implementation Documents
LAND 4900 & 6901- Senior Project and Graduate Capstone Studios
LAND 4910 & 6910- Advanced Graphics
​LAND 6020- Site Applications

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY
College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities
Landscape Architecture Program
2015 - 2019

LARC 1520- Landscape Basic Design II Studio
LARC 2510- Landscape Design Fundamentals Studio
LARC 4280- Computer-Aided Design
​LARC 4620- Design Implementation III 
LARC 8230- Advanced Community Design Studio
LARC 8620- Design Implementation II 



Teaching Philosophy.

Teaching has only one purpose, and that is to facilitate learning. Student learning is the primary purpose of instructional delivery, yet the ever-changing needs of students necessitates that an instructor also assumes a learning role. In this way teaching should facilitate learning for both students and the instructor. The following paragraphs describe a teaching philosophy that blends the traditional impartation of knowledge with a student-centered approach. The philosophy stresses an openness to learning beyond the context of personal research endeavors, where knowledge can be co-constructed between teacher and student. I believe that to be an effective teacher instruction must vary upon this spectrum, providing clear class structure and expectations while maintaining the flexibility to meet students’ needs and a willingness for adaptation.
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In order for students to effectively learn, material should be relevant and meaningful. As a professional landscape architect with nearly a decade of private practice experience, I’m intimately familiar with the skillset that design and planning students need to successfully launch their careers and beyond. However, simply teaching the material does not signify a learning experience, nor does it inspire students to be life-long learners. There are several research-based teaching strategies I implement which transform knowledge sharing into actual learning experiences:
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  • Students often learn by observing others; therefore, modeling appropriate skills and behaviors aids the learning process. (social cognitive)
  • Personal meaning and ownership are tied to student engagement. Encouraging realistic goal-setting and a level of differentiation supports student ownership of projects, tasks, and class learning objectives. (behavioral, social, constructivism)
  • Self-efficacy is critical to student success. Maintaining a positive learning environment fosters confidence and students’ beliefs that they can accomplish tasks. (social cognitive, constructivism)
  • The retrieval of knowledge should be practiced through application and testing. This can take many forms including open class discussions, work pin-ups, cognitive mapping exercises, community and real project interaction, and formal student presentations. (behavioral, social cognitive, constructivism)

Lastly, students learn when they are motivated and this is often directly through association with motivated individuals. I personally strive to bring energy, enthusiasm, preparedness and an insatiable thirst for knowledge to each and every class that I teach. I’m dedicated to successfully preparing students for their futures, serving as a guide on their personal educational journeys. Innovation and new ideas will shape and improve the broad reach of the design and planning industry, and so I encourage students to experiment and to push boundaries. My commitment to teaching is also a commitment to personal learning, to empowering students in their own scholarship, and to creating knowledge alongside students through a mutual interest and passion for the built environment.