TEACHING & ACADEMIA
I design and teach interdisciplinary courses that confront the intersections of health, human rights, genocide, global development, and religion. At Agnes Scott College and Emory University, my classes—like War, Conflict, and Health, Decolonizing Development, Religion, Ethics, and Genocide, and Leadership and the Legacy of Resistance—challenge students to think systemically, center marginalized voices, and pursue justice through community-engaged practice.
Beyond the academy, I’ve taught public courses on Genocide 101, International Humanitarian Law, and Landmine Awareness with the American Red Cross, and served as an HIV/AIDS and sexual health educator at AID Atlanta (AIDS Healthcare Foundation). I also developed HIV/AIDS case management curricula for CARE Rwanda and the Rwandan Ministry of Health.
"I don’t teach for comfort—I teach toward deep listening, critical engagement, and the cultivation of each student’s own relationship with the material. The goal isn’t mastery—it’s transformation."
Course Descriptions
War, Conflict, and Health
From civil disputes to "forever wars," this course examines the intersection of armed conflict(s) on health systems, populations, and public health infrastructure. Students will delve into historical and contemporary case studies to understand the multifaceted effects of war on health; exploring direct consequences, e.g., injuries, fatalities, and mass atrocities, as well as the indirect effects of communicable disease outbreaks, mental health crises, and the disruption of health services.
Not All Heroes Wear Capes: Leadership in Resistance Movements
From Warsaw Ghetto partisans to journalists on the frontlines of war; from the nascent lyrics of Tupac Shakur to the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, this course will explore everyday deeds that morphed into extraordinary acts of resistance.
Through historic case studies and current events, we’ll journey through select acts of civil disobedience - simple gestures, words, art, and music that birthed movements and sparked collective courage. Who were/are these ordinary citizens leading the charge of hope?
As we confront an era transfixed by fear and polarization, what steps can we take to mirror their actions, to harness our angst and drive social change? Sometimes, the arc of the moral universe requires a welder and blowtorch to bend toward justice - we’ll figure out how to fire it up together.
Religion, Ethics, and Genocide
This course delves into the intricate relationships between religion, ethical reasoning, and the phenomenon of genocide, examining how belief systems can both incite violence and inspire resistance.
Through an interdisciplinary lens, students will examine historical and contemporary cases of genocide, analyzing the motivations behind such atrocities, and the varying roles that religious ideologies play.
Do faith communities have a duty to prevent harm and respond to acts of genocide? In the aftermath of extreme violence, what constitutes enough justice and/or reparation? Is restoration possible? From Armenia to Ukraine, from the Holocaust to the Holodomor, from Rwanda to Srebrenica, and beyond, this course convenes at the intersection of faith, human nature, and moral obligation.
Health and Human Rights
How is health defined, and how are rights enforced? Are rights truly universal if definitions and applications vary? This course critically examines health as a fundamental human right amidst a growing chasm of global health inequities.
Engaging with key frameworks in Amendment 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Alma Ata Declaration’s principle of “Health for All,” and the health-focused Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the course analyzes how the infrastructure of nation-states and international organizations either upholds or undermines this right. It further considers the question of responsibility: Is it the duty of governmental and non-state actors to enforce these proclamations?
What is the role of ordinary citizens? What is expected of the oppressed and marginalized in the struggle for the right to simply have rights?
Decolonizing Global Health and Development
What does it mean to "decolonize" global health and development? If the humanitarian sector was founded on neo-colonial ideals, is such an undertaking even possible? This course critically examines the colonial legacies of public health and development practice, exploring strategies to promote health equity and sustainable development through emergent decolonial frameworks.
Learners will be invited to rethink traditional approaches to foreign and domestic aid programs and health enterprises, by centering the voices, knowledge systems, and lived-experiences of historically marginalized populations; and by further engaging postcolonial theories and methodologies that seek to restore and reimagine inclusive, equitable, and context-appropriate initiatives.
Community-Based Public Health Practice and Research
This course examines community-based public health practices and research methodologies, as they relate to the issues of HIV/AIDS, sexual health, menstruation, and mental health. Learners will assess community needs, develop tailored interventions, and evaluate outcomes; as they cultivate an understanding of these issues in already fragile communities.
Through case studies, participatory exercises, and the application of evidence-based approaches, students will gain skills necessary for effectively engaging and implementing holistic health initiatives, in a broad variety of contexts.
This course will further critique ethics, power dynamics, and issues of equity, as they relate to public health research and practice within vulnerable populations, and consider the implications in forming and maintaining partnership with stakeholders in the academic and healthcare sectors.
Recommended Prerequisite: PH 101
Poverty, Social Justice, and Health
This course will draw on diverse public health and anthropological perspectives to examine ethical and social justice issues that impact community health locally, across the United States, and globally. Health disparities and public health efforts to alleviate them will be examined.
Students will explore how poverty impacts agency and health. The ethical issues inherent in public and global health interventions, as well as global development efforts, will be further discussed.
Jewish Folklore, aka, Jewish Folks and their Lore
This course explores the rich tapestry of Jewish folklore, drawing from the diverse heritage of Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Mizrahi, Bukharan, Bene, et.al. traditions. Through the study of narratives, legends, customs, rituals, taboos, and folk art, students will gain insight into how folklore reflects the cultural values, beliefs, and historical experiences of Jewish communities throughout the world. What makes them relevant for today?
Who are the standard bearers, thinkers, and trailblazers remaking, reclaiming, and retelling these traditions?
By analyzing narratives and traditions from these backgrounds, we will explore how folklore reflects, challenges, and complicates issues of racism, colonialism, and various forms of oppression and social injustice; and further interrogate how these power dynamics shape cultural expressions and community identities.
Through this lens, the course aims to foster a deeper understanding of the role folklore plays in both preserving cultural heritage and serving as a tool for personal reclamation, community activism, and social change.
Religion and Health
This course offers an interdisciplinary study of religion and health, exploring how belief systems, traditions, and spiritual practices can positively and/or negatively shape public health practice, policy, and personal health outcomes across the life course. Students will consider such topics as birth, death and dying, sex and reproduction, mental health, and the diagnosis and treatment of illness; as well as issue and disease-specific case-studies such as menstruation and HIV/AIDS.