Teaching

Over the years I have developed and taught a variety of undergraduate- and graduate-level courses for both Harvard College and Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education (which encompasses the Extension School and the Summer School). These include an introduction to comparative politics, a seminar comparing the role religion plays in the political life of the United States and the European Union, a seminar on comparative “third-wave” democratization, a course on qualitative research methods, and a workshop aimed at students writing honors theses in political science.

I really, truly enjoy teaching. Attesting to this, one of the most frequent compliments I receive on my student evaluations is that I am a “passionate” educator. In the broadest sense, my pedagogical approach centers on conveying to students that we are mutually invested in a shared educational journey; I firmly believe that, as a professor of mine once put it, “teaching teaches the teacher” as much as the student. In practical terms, this means I want my students to feel a sense of enthusiasm for what they are learning and to respectfully explore diverse viewpoints and interpretations of the material being studied.

You can see my latest syllabi here:

Foundations of Comparative Politics

Research Practice in Qualitative Methods

Politics of Religion in Liberal Democracies

Democratic Transitions in Comparative Perspective

Senior Thesis Writers’ Seminar

 

 

 

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