Teacher.
I spent 10 years of my career as a sociology professor (2008-2018). I was most passionate about teaching research methods and statistics.
Math and science aside, the most important thing I wanted to impart to my students was critical thinking. That is, knowing how to ask the right questions, synthesize and summarize information and then make effective decisions.
Teaching Black history and politics, with a focus on Black women and feminism is also one of my enduring intellectual passions. Black women were feminist pioneers long before the "first wave". And the unique intersection of race, gender, class and sexuality are key to understanding the fullness of Black life throughout the diaspora.
A list of the courses I taught during my university career is below.
Math and science aside, the most important thing I wanted to impart to my students was critical thinking. That is, knowing how to ask the right questions, synthesize and summarize information and then make effective decisions.
Teaching Black history and politics, with a focus on Black women and feminism is also one of my enduring intellectual passions. Black women were feminist pioneers long before the "first wave". And the unique intersection of race, gender, class and sexuality are key to understanding the fullness of Black life throughout the diaspora.
A list of the courses I taught during my university career is below.
Previous Courses
Applied Statistics for the Social Sciences
This course introduces basic descriptive, inferential, and correlational statistical methods. It emphasizes the importance of research questions and goals in statistical decision-making and focuses heavily on proper selection and interpretation of statistical techniques. The graduate version of this course pays special attention to the ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model and variations on it as well as nominal and ordinal logistic regression models.
Research Methods for the Social Sciences
This course surveys ontological and epistemological approaches to social scientific research with close attention to research ethics and research question construction. The course focuses equally on qualitative and quantitative methods and strongly encourages students to select methods that will answer their research questions; rather than avoid methods that seem difficult or select those that appear simple.
Senior Research Seminar
This course ensures that senior thesis students pose answerable research questions and select methods that fully answer these questions. It supports them through the data collection and analysis processes, assists them in preparing IRB forms and works with them to craft professional research presentations.
Feminist Thought in Black History, Culture and Politics
This course examines the sociological issues that impact how Black women have negotiated their social, economic, and political lives as racial and gender minorities. The course uses Black women’s life experiences to challenge hegemonic notions of the categories “woman” and “Black” during critical eras in Black history.
Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
This course examines historical and contemporary issues within the social scientific study of race in the U.S. We will also consider the diversity of racialization experiences within and across racial and ethnic groups in the U.S.
Constructionist Approaches to Social Problems
This course takes a constructionist approach to the study of social problems. It focuses not only on the objective and measurable occurrences of social problems but also on their interpretation. How do troublesome conditions rise to the level of "social problem"? Who gets to decide what is defined as a problem and what is not? How do people respond to social problems in the form of social movements? How are interpretations of troublesome conditions integral to the direction of movements?
Social Movements
This course examines various strains of social movement theory (collective behavior, resource mobilization, political process, framing, and new social movements) as well as the factors that gave rise to major social movements in U.S. and world history.
This course introduces basic descriptive, inferential, and correlational statistical methods. It emphasizes the importance of research questions and goals in statistical decision-making and focuses heavily on proper selection and interpretation of statistical techniques. The graduate version of this course pays special attention to the ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model and variations on it as well as nominal and ordinal logistic regression models.
Research Methods for the Social Sciences
This course surveys ontological and epistemological approaches to social scientific research with close attention to research ethics and research question construction. The course focuses equally on qualitative and quantitative methods and strongly encourages students to select methods that will answer their research questions; rather than avoid methods that seem difficult or select those that appear simple.
Senior Research Seminar
This course ensures that senior thesis students pose answerable research questions and select methods that fully answer these questions. It supports them through the data collection and analysis processes, assists them in preparing IRB forms and works with them to craft professional research presentations.
Feminist Thought in Black History, Culture and Politics
This course examines the sociological issues that impact how Black women have negotiated their social, economic, and political lives as racial and gender minorities. The course uses Black women’s life experiences to challenge hegemonic notions of the categories “woman” and “Black” during critical eras in Black history.
Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
This course examines historical and contemporary issues within the social scientific study of race in the U.S. We will also consider the diversity of racialization experiences within and across racial and ethnic groups in the U.S.
Constructionist Approaches to Social Problems
This course takes a constructionist approach to the study of social problems. It focuses not only on the objective and measurable occurrences of social problems but also on their interpretation. How do troublesome conditions rise to the level of "social problem"? Who gets to decide what is defined as a problem and what is not? How do people respond to social problems in the form of social movements? How are interpretations of troublesome conditions integral to the direction of movements?
Social Movements
This course examines various strains of social movement theory (collective behavior, resource mobilization, political process, framing, and new social movements) as well as the factors that gave rise to major social movements in U.S. and world history.