I teach three  courses at the University of Iowa, and plan to continue offering a mix of these each year. I also offer independent studies for motivated undergraduate students. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions about courses or opportunities.

 This course explores contemporary Latin American Politics, with a central goal of understanding the trends that are currently being observed across region. How do we make sense of Peru’s ongoing protests and uprisings? What explains the emergence (and recent rejection) of a new constitution in Chile? With leftist presidents recently elected in Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Honduras, and Bolivia, among others, to what extent are we observing a resurgence of a pink tide across the region? Meanwhile, in other countries like Ecuador and Mexico, we are seeing the emergence of new legal frameworks designed to promote Indigenous rights and the rights of Mother Earth (Pachamama). Clearly, there are many themes that we can address! The goal for this course, however, is to develop a set of conceptual tools and theoretical knowledge that we can draw upon to analyze and understand current events like these across the region. We will do this by identifying central themes, and examining these in further detail via country case studies. Please note that this course is designed as a general introduction to Latin American Politics, and is aimed at students with little or no prior coursework in this area. 

 This seminar examines contemporary environmental challenges through the lens of indigeneity. In the first part of this course, we will explore the concepts of “environment” and “indigeneity,” and use these to develop a guiding framework for analyzing environmental challenges. In the process we will ask: how do we prioritize environmental problems? How do we frame them, and whose voices are privileged within public debate? What is the relationship between politics and science-based decision-making? What discourses dominate theories of environment, and what do these assume about human-nature relations? In the second portion of the course, we will apply this framework to analyze themes including climate change, biodiversity, food production, management of genetic resources, extractivism, traditional knowledge, and sustainable development. Throughout the semester, we will be joined by environmental/Indigenous scholars and activists to share with us their work and insights. 

 
This course examines contemporary challenges related to agriculture. In the first part of this course, we will explore the development of US agricultural policy, represented through what are known as “Farm Bills.” These sweeping pieces of legislation, updated roughly every five years, govern our agriculture and food policy. To understand how they operate, we will examine key historical moments and transformations in farm bills, and the political coalitions and ideas that have contributed to these policy changes. We will then use these insights to analyze and discuss the upcoming farm bill, which is set for debate within the new (118th) Congress. 

In the second part of the course, we will begin to shift to a more global perspective, engaging with a selection of policy debates around genetically modified crops, Green Revolution technologies, and corn. We will also begin to use a more explicitly intersectional approach, examining agricultural policies through the lens of indigeneity, race, and gender. Throughout the semester, we will be joined by Iowa farmers and policymakers to share with us their work, and help bring to life the concepts included in our reading materials.