Teaching

Teacher of Record

Solving Urban Problems: PLAN 247

Level: Undergraduate
Period: Summer Session I, 2020
Period: Summer Session II, 2022

This is an introductory course on city planning. It is required for the undergraduate minor in City and Regional Planning at UNC.

The course is focused on one main question: How do planners solve urban problems? We look at the approaches, tools, and best practices that planners use to identify and solve urban problems, in both a historical and modern contexts.

Student Evaluations Summary:
Class size: 10
Response rate: 40%
Scale: 1 = strongly disagree; 5 = strongly agree

table

Qualitative Evaluations:

“The online format of shared presentations with engaging discussion questions to fill out was an extremely effective teaching method. I really appreciate all the thought and effort put into this class.”

“I liked how she gave us the opportunity to apply what we had learned in the Google slides provided for the class. It was a really creative and innovative idea to keep everyone engaged, especially while we’re still distance learning.”

“Using the slide decks was extremely helpful! It was nice to be able to mix text– and audio–based formats to augment class discussion, and was a lot better than some of the more seminar–type courses I’ve taken on zoom. It was also nice to be able to make use of the chat for participation as well.”

Teaching Assistant 

Planning for Natural Hazards and Climate Risk: PLAN 655

Level: Graduate
Period: Spring 2022

This is a master’s level, interdisciplinary course housed in the planning department at UNC.

This course focuses on aspects of governance as they relate to planning for, responding to, and recovering from natural hazards, specifically in the context of the United States. It covers how institutions and policies can affect the outcomes of disaster events with considerations for increasing equitable outcomes in the era of anthropogenic climate change.

Planning Theory: PLAN 704

Level: Graduate
Period: Spring 2018, Fall 2019

This is a master’s level course on planning theory. It is required for the Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning

This course focuses on concepts and reasoning that will help students make sense of planning practice. It touches on various normative and positive theories of plans, institutions, ethics, and governance. The objective of the class is to learn to apply theoretical concepts in evaluating plans and throughout the planning processes.

Urban Spatial Structure: PLAN 714

Level: Graduate
Period: Fall 2018

This is a master’s level course designed to provide planning students with a foundational understanding of how cities work. It is required for the Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning at UNC.

This course provides an overview of major theories and methodological approaches that planners use to explain the function and structure of urban areas. It focuses on positive behavioral theories that explain the actions of residents and forms the spatial dynamics of regions, as well as structural and institutional theories of urban change.