Undergraduate Mentoring
I regularly collaborate with highly motivated undergraduate students at UF, through the Political Science Department's Junior Fellows program and through UF's Honors Program. Among other places, my former undergraduate students now work at the World Bank, the United Nations, Catholic Relief Services and more, and have gone on to graduate school at Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Georgetown, Duke and other institutions. If you are interested in learning about research opportunities feel free to contact me.
Applied Research Skills in My Undergraduate Courses
Over the last several years I have incorporated active learning of applied research skills into my upper division undergraduate classes. In particular, in each upper division (3000 and 4000 level) courses I include a research component focused on data analysis & visualization.
Data analysis & visualization components give you an initial set of skills in how to work with statistical data. You will learn: how and where to access commonly used political and economic indicators, how to collect and compile them appropriately, and how to conduct preliminary analysis of the data. In particular, in these courses I stress visualization of aggregate data. Often analyzing data graphically is the most useful and intuitive way to understand causal relationships.
Undergraduate Teaching
I regularly teach the following undergraduate courses:
Developing Nations
The Politics of Ethnic Conflict
Oil in Global Politics
Civil Wars
Introduction to Comparative Politics
I regularly collaborate with highly motivated undergraduate students at UF, through the Political Science Department's Junior Fellows program and through UF's Honors Program. Among other places, my former undergraduate students now work at the World Bank, the United Nations, Catholic Relief Services and more, and have gone on to graduate school at Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Georgetown, Duke and other institutions. If you are interested in learning about research opportunities feel free to contact me.
Applied Research Skills in My Undergraduate Courses
Over the last several years I have incorporated active learning of applied research skills into my upper division undergraduate classes. In particular, in each upper division (3000 and 4000 level) courses I include a research component focused on data analysis & visualization.
Data analysis & visualization components give you an initial set of skills in how to work with statistical data. You will learn: how and where to access commonly used political and economic indicators, how to collect and compile them appropriately, and how to conduct preliminary analysis of the data. In particular, in these courses I stress visualization of aggregate data. Often analyzing data graphically is the most useful and intuitive way to understand causal relationships.
Undergraduate Teaching
I regularly teach the following undergraduate courses:
Developing Nations
The Politics of Ethnic Conflict
Oil in Global Politics
Civil Wars
Introduction to Comparative Politics
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Click here for a primer on close reading.
Click here for a primer on close reading.
Students Seeking Letters of Recommendation:
I receive a goodly number of requests to write letters of recommendation. When I do write them, I do so carefully, which is to say it takes me some time. With that in mind:
If we've spoken and I've agreed to write a letter send, all in one email:
I receive a goodly number of requests to write letters of recommendation. When I do write them, I do so carefully, which is to say it takes me some time. With that in mind:
- If your deadline is less than three weeks away I will generally not write a letter. You want the most detailed letters you can get, and that means both lead time and figuring out which of your instructors know your academic work best.
- Also: I do not write letters for students who have not waived the right to see them. If you don't feel comfortable with a reference submitting an honest letter you'd better ask someone else.
- DO NOT list me or any other instructor as a reference without first confirming that we approve. When I receive automated emails notifying me that I've been listed as a reference without my knowledge no letter will be forthcoming.
If we've spoken and I've agreed to write a letter send, all in one email:
- The purpose of the letter (i.e. to whom am I sending it and for what);
- your resume and a list of past relevant coursework;
- all of the information I need to get the letter into the right hands in advance of the deadline (address, deadline, person to whom it should be addressed if appropriate.