Teaching & Advising

Breaking down borders between field, classroom, community and the academy

My teaching and outreach falls into three categories: mentorship, instruction and engagement. My central pedagogical aspiration is to shrink the gaps between the field, the classroom and the community. By this I mean that I work to bring my research into the classroom and to create opportunities for students to do work that connects their future aspirations to the world outside the classroom.

In most of my classes, I use Tucson as a shared object of analysis. We write op-eds, hold debates, host panels, conduct mini ethnographies, and propose new urban developments that center on the city we all share.

I have recently restructured my American City class (GEOG 456) into a “Tucson Urban Challenges Lab”, where students will work in groups (in 2020 these will bed online groups) to prepare reports on downtown redevelopment, studentification, and the promise and pitfalls of manufactured housing – among other topics. This year’s class will connect to my current work on the intersections of heat, housing and health (including COVID-19),  race and the city, and contemporary debates about access to quality housing.

Through research grants I also work to support the creation of teaching materials, in-class research workshops, and paid internships. Involving students in research and outreach makes it much easier to engage them in lectures.

In smaller classes, I make frequent use of short videos and podcasts as elicitation devices for interactive, group and individual exercises. I am always working to improve my teaching and create inclusive learning environments, both on- and off-line.

I view my graduate seminars as professional development opportunities – chances for students to construct the first draft of a journal submission, policy report or to refine a grant proposal. I have also actively sought additional opportunities to teach graduate seminars that allow me engage more deeply with theoretical material. I am an Affiliate of the UA Graduate Interdisciplinary Program (GIDP) in Social, Cultural and Critical Theory. In Spring 2019 Dr. Marcia Klotz (English) used our co-taught seminar on the Cultures and Spaces of Debt and Finance organize a conference with students that drew participants from across North America, including Keynotes from Karen Ho and Anthony Alvares. The conference provided a rare opportunity for graduate students to meet the scholars they read in our seminar and to present at an international conference without leaving Tucson and without spending any money.

Graduate Advising

The graduate students I work with study a wide variety of problems related to the geographies and cultural / political economy of markets, especially consumer financial markets. I'm always happy to chat with prospective students, so please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Interested students should check out the School of Geography, Development & Environment's "Graduate Programs" website.

Student Supervision