Teaching Philosophy

        As a social scientist, I am firmly committed to the core values of interdisciplinary research. As an educator and inter-cultural engagement professional, I am certain that my global perspective will enrich student learning at the collegiate level.  Today's students should be prepared to meet the global challenges of the twenty-first century.  Many private and public sector organizations require team-leaders who are capable of interacting within diverse settings to apply cultural competence and a vast comprehension of discipline specific knowledge. Because of this, students should have excellent communication skills, oral and written, and they must develop the ability to think critically to enter the workforce and solve the world’s most challenging problems.  The foundation of my classroom’s ecology centers on providing the requisite tools to allow students to build their own world-view.

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       As a practitioner with experience working in the public and private sectors, I am committed to transcending my professional reference point to promote a clear vision on how to engage social dynamics and international affairs from multiple angles. My interdisciplinary research helps with this task by intersecting relations with studies on diplomacy, organizational diversity, state/non-state actor engagement, ethnic conflict, interfaith relations, and foreign affairs.  My geographical interests include the Middle East and North Africa, intractable conflict in South Asia, and emerging moral/cultural conflicts in the United States.  Thus, I am committed to student’s comprehending and, most of all, valuing key theories in international relations, sociology, religious studies, and conflict resolution to manage emerging risks.