My teaching intends to help students become better equipped to read, write, think critically and creatively, act ethically, work independently and collaboratively, and help address social and environmental problems. My research, teaching, and service are interconnected and I use models such as service learning and community-based projects to help students learn practical skills in ways that that also address community interests, priorities, and problems.
I teach courses on environmental communication and communication research methods and I center rhetorical theories and methods within these courses. I have also taught courses focsued on sustainbility science, communication and facilitation, and rhetorical ethnography. I serve as the Undergraduate Advising Coordinator for the Department of Communication and Journalism and teach a course that helps undergraduate students majoring in communication, media studies, or journalism learn about these majors and educational opportunities on the UMaine campus and surrounding communities.
Here are recent courses with syllabus links and additional resources.
Undergraduate
- Communication and the Environment (CMJ 107)
- Communication Research Methods (CMJ 402)
- Environmental Communication SL:CMJ 407)
Graduate
- Environmental Communication (CMJ 580)
- Qualitative Communication Research Methods (CMJ 604)
- Communication and Facilitation for Effective and Inclusive Conservation Efforts (EES 598)
EC CooP
The Environmental Communication Community of Practice (EC CooP) is a learning community composed of faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students, and community partners who share interests in environmental communication and interdisciplinary approaches to sustainability. We host workshops and discussions focused on civic engagement and community organizing; making meaningful career connections through online presence, networking opportunities, and relationship development; writing and peer support; grant proposal development; oral and poster presentations for academic conferences; and coordinating research and fieldwork activities. We do engaged research and service projects, such as video recording, and in future we intend to create facilitated dialogues on issues that matter. We also maintain an archive of environmental communication civic and career resources and a listserve where we regularly post relevant announcements and share content. Please contact me if you’d like to join our group and/or listserve.
Here are some photos from adventures in engaged learning:















