TEACHING
I gravitate toward teaching because I learned from a few great teachers. For me, teaching is two parts preparation and one part running behind the proverbial bus—all of which is shaken into a martini of mutual learning and surprise.
In addition to short lectures that provide a foundation for student learning and (for smaller classes) formal, student-led "structured discussion," my courses often have an embodied component where students put their research skills to work discovering overlooked aspects of their local, vocational, or ecological surroundings. The aim is to seek better questions of complexity rather than mere critical thinking, questions of moral worth rather than simplistic right and wrong, and courage to seeking meaning within, rather than freedom from, contradiction and discomfort.
I follow the reflective practices of India and the West that link world-understanding to self-understanding in order to expand students' perception of, sensitivity toward, and personal authority in relation to a dynamic multispecies human-ecological community.
Recent classes taught:
Previous courses:
Public Class Projects
A selection of events, exhibits, and conferences I have overseen can be found here.
View some of our course experiences below:
In addition to short lectures that provide a foundation for student learning and (for smaller classes) formal, student-led "structured discussion," my courses often have an embodied component where students put their research skills to work discovering overlooked aspects of their local, vocational, or ecological surroundings. The aim is to seek better questions of complexity rather than mere critical thinking, questions of moral worth rather than simplistic right and wrong, and courage to seeking meaning within, rather than freedom from, contradiction and discomfort.
I follow the reflective practices of India and the West that link world-understanding to self-understanding in order to expand students' perception of, sensitivity toward, and personal authority in relation to a dynamic multispecies human-ecological community.
Recent classes taught:
- Animal Ethics and Religions (Fall 2023)
- Topics in Jain Studies: Karma and Ethics (Fall 2023)
- Jain History, Philosophy, and Ethics
- Multicultural Medical Ethics
- Evil and Suffering
- Process Philosophies
- Humanities Core (900 students): Animals, People, and Power
Previous courses:
- Introduction to Indian Traditions: Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism
- Bioethics and Indian Traditions
- India, Consciousness, and Science
- Chanting and Social Change in the Indian Traditions
- Ecology and the Indian Traditions
- History and Philosophy of Yoga
- Global Perspectives: What is Justice?
- Women and Religion
- Islam and Judaism
- Reflections: Queer Theory and Nonviolent Movements
Public Class Projects
- Applied Jainism Video Summaries: A Possible Jain Response to a Contemporary Ethical Issue (UC Irvine)
- Exhibit: Eating Plants: Vegetarian Stories from the Heartland (Monmouth College)
- Exhibit: Structures of Striving: Jainism and Nonviolence in Temple Architecture (Rice U)
- Digital Stories (1-2 min. each): History and Philosophy of Yoga (Monmouth College)
- Website: The Unofficial Monmouth College Tour (Monmouth College)
- Film List: Women and Religion (approx. 45 films)
- Research Posters: Samples from Introduction to Jainism, 2016 (Rice U)
A selection of events, exhibits, and conferences I have overseen can be found here.
View some of our course experiences below: