My Teaching Philosophy

I believe teaching is not merely the passing-on of textbook knowledge to students.  Good teaching stimulates critical thinking, provokes intellectual curiosity, and enriches and empowers student through the learning experience.  As such, I encourage students to ask thoughtful questions and to dare to challenge the conventional wisdom.  I think that excellent teaching requires dedication and commitment as well as an innate love of interacting with students.

As for the relationship between teaching and research, I don't believe the two are mutually exclusive: An excellent teacher can also be a prolific researcher at the same time.