Teaching Philosophy

 

I have three goals as an instructor. First, cultivate a learning environment in which students can achieve their full potential. Second, foster analytical and communication skills that will serve students, regardless of their field of study and professional goals. And third, connect course material to contemporary political issues. These goals shape how I structure my courses, teach specific classes, and mentor students.

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Courses I Teach

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• Comparative Elections — How electoral systems and campaigns vary across countries, and what those differences mean for representation.

• Conduct of Inquiry — An introduction to research design in political science for graduate students.

• Ethnic Politics — How racial and ethnic identities shape political mobilization, competition, and representation.

• International Politics of Latin America — The region’s international relations and its place in global politics.

• Perspectives on Democratization — How democracies emerge, consolidate, and break down across theoretical perspectives and empirical cases.

• Research Methods in Political Science — Research design and the quantitative and qualitative tools political scientists use to study behavior and institutions.

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For Students

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I welcome opportunities to work with students on research. I enjoy mentoring students through every stage of the research process and have co-authored publications with several undergraduate research assistants. If you are a UF student interested in elections, identity politics, or Latin America, please feel free to reach out or stop by during office hours.​

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There are numerous avenues for students to pursue research. I regularly advise students through the Junior Fellows Program and the Emerging Scholars Program, and I also mentor students conducting independent research as CLAS Scholars, University Scholars, and Haskell Scholars, as well as students writing senior theses.

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Please check the course Canvas page for class materials.