If you are interested in my overall approach to teaching, a statement of my teaching philosophy can be found here.
Current and Upcoming Courses:
Spring 2025:
GLY 102 - Climate Change
Syllabus
This Scientific Literacy and Inquiry course explores the science of climate change. As this topic has moved into dinner table conversation, many public figures and media voices vie for our attention by claiming to present the latest scientific research, some falsely. How can we evaluate these voices? This course will examine the latest climate science at the micro (e.g., the greenhouse effect), human (e.g., climate change impacts and mitigation) and planetary (e.g., global warming) scales. The course will follow the history of scientific discovery about climate change on both human (10–100 years) and geologic (1,000+ years) timescales. The course will explore the scientific method and foster analysis of scientific data and models to evaluate concepts in climate science. The course will also address climate science vs. pseudo-science, controversies, and how climate science affects our lives. Some questions we will consider include the following:
Fall 2024:
GLY 199 - Water and Civilization Seminar
Syllabus
The fate of humans is forever linked to the provision of our most basic need: water. In Mesopotamia, the annual floods of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers gave rise to the first human civilization. Droughts have destroyed powerful civilizations within decades, including the pyramid-builders of Egypt, the Classical Maya, and the Khmer Empire. Today, the world’s seven and a half billion people are putting unparalleled stresses on our global water resources. These stresses have lead to famines and wars in modern times, and these crises are only likely to accelerate with global climate change. In this course, we explore the past and the future of humans’ relationship with water. The first month of the class focuses on the science and the history of pre-modern civilizations’ relationship, while the latter part of the class focuses on the science, geopolitics, and policy behind contemporary water resource challenges, both globally and in New York State. Discussion on contemporary challenges will focus on issues of both water quantity and quality: intensified droughts and flooding driven by climate change, unsustainable withdrawals of groundwater, pollution from agricultural and urban sources, and the provision of clean drinking water.
GLY 102 - Climate Change
Syllabus
This Scientific Literacy and Inquiry course explores the science of climate change. As this topic has moved into dinner table conversation, many public figures and media voices vie for our attention by claiming to present the latest scientific research, some falsely. How can we evaluate these voices? This course will examine the latest climate science at the micro (e.g., the greenhouse effect), human (e.g., climate change impacts and mitigation) and planetary (e.g., global warming) scales. The course will follow the history of scientific discovery about climate change on both human (10–100 years) and geologic (1,000+ years) timescales. The course will explore the scientific method and foster analysis of scientific data and models to evaluate concepts in climate science. The course will also address climate science vs. pseudo-science, controversies, and how climate science affects our lives. Some questions we will consider include the following:
- What is global warming and why does it occur?
- Has it been as warm as it is today at other times in the geological past?
- How do both the physical and biogeochemical components of our earth system combine to drive climate change?
- What does societal debate on climate change say about the role of science in American life?
Fall 2024:
GLY 199 - Water and Civilization Seminar
Syllabus
The fate of humans is forever linked to the provision of our most basic need: water. In Mesopotamia, the annual floods of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers gave rise to the first human civilization. Droughts have destroyed powerful civilizations within decades, including the pyramid-builders of Egypt, the Classical Maya, and the Khmer Empire. Today, the world’s seven and a half billion people are putting unparalleled stresses on our global water resources. These stresses have lead to famines and wars in modern times, and these crises are only likely to accelerate with global climate change. In this course, we explore the past and the future of humans’ relationship with water. The first month of the class focuses on the science and the history of pre-modern civilizations’ relationship, while the latter part of the class focuses on the science, geopolitics, and policy behind contemporary water resource challenges, both globally and in New York State. Discussion on contemporary challenges will focus on issues of both water quantity and quality: intensified droughts and flooding driven by climate change, unsustainable withdrawals of groundwater, pollution from agricultural and urban sources, and the provision of clean drinking water.
Past Courses:
GLY 569 - Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Ecology
(Offered every other year, next offered Spring 2026)
Syllabus
This course explores how life controls the movement of energy and matter through the biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. The course considers terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems across all spatial scales, from the individual microbe to the globe. Particular attention is paid to the cycles of carbon, water, and essential nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, highlighting how humans alter/dominate these cycles. Extensive readings from the primary literature.
GLY 462/562 - Aqueous Geochemistry
(Offered every other year, next offered Spring 2026)
Syllabus
Water is the “universal solvent” that is the medium for nearly all environmentally-relevant chemistry on Earth’s surface. In this class, we explore these from the most important of these reactions from both thermodynamic and kinetic perspectives. In particular, the course focuses on acid-base chemistry, weathering and precipitation, sorption, redox chemistry, and behavior of environmental pollutants. The course aims to situate real-world environmental problems within the context of fundamental chemical principles. Lectures are pre-recorded and class time is devoted to question-and-answer and problem solving, with dry and wet labs reinforcing key concepts.
GLY 308 - Introduction to Geochemistry
Syllabus
This course provides an introduction to the many ways that chemistry allows us to interpret geologic processes. It is designed to employ basic concepts introduced in a general chemistry course to geologic problems. It provides a survey of different geochemistry sub-disciplines and introduces concepts in support of upper level geology courses.
(Offered every other year, next offered Spring 2026)
Syllabus
This course explores how life controls the movement of energy and matter through the biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. The course considers terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems across all spatial scales, from the individual microbe to the globe. Particular attention is paid to the cycles of carbon, water, and essential nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, highlighting how humans alter/dominate these cycles. Extensive readings from the primary literature.
GLY 462/562 - Aqueous Geochemistry
(Offered every other year, next offered Spring 2026)
Syllabus
Water is the “universal solvent” that is the medium for nearly all environmentally-relevant chemistry on Earth’s surface. In this class, we explore these from the most important of these reactions from both thermodynamic and kinetic perspectives. In particular, the course focuses on acid-base chemistry, weathering and precipitation, sorption, redox chemistry, and behavior of environmental pollutants. The course aims to situate real-world environmental problems within the context of fundamental chemical principles. Lectures are pre-recorded and class time is devoted to question-and-answer and problem solving, with dry and wet labs reinforcing key concepts.
GLY 308 - Introduction to Geochemistry
Syllabus
This course provides an introduction to the many ways that chemistry allows us to interpret geologic processes. It is designed to employ basic concepts introduced in a general chemistry course to geologic problems. It provides a survey of different geochemistry sub-disciplines and introduces concepts in support of upper level geology courses.