Teaching
Philosophy
As an environmentalist, I recognise the vital importance of diversity, both in ecology and in our ways of thinking and relating to each other. In the classroom, I encourage students to develop skills for independent critical thinking and rigorous, civil discussion. To this end, my syllabi expose students to a wide range of authors and perspectives, with whom they are free to agree or disagree, as I do.
Appointments
Instructor of Record - Cornell University, Ithaca, New York:
-
Bravuras of Birds: the Art and Science of Avian Expression, Fall 2025
Graduate Teaching Assistant - Cornell University, Ithaca New York:
-
Ways of Knowing: Indigenous and Place-Based Ecological Knowledge Fall 2023, Fall 2024
Teaching Awards
-
John S. Knight Award for writing exercise “Critical Essay Evaluation for Reflection on Writing and the Use of AI,” designed for Bravuras of Birds: The Art and Science of Avian Expression
-
Lionel Hearon (Cornell '29) won the James E. Rice, Jr. '30 Prize for his essay, “What I Learned as Prey,” written for Bravuras of Birds: The Art and Science of Avian Expression
Student Feedback
- I was impressed at how engaged and available Charlie was while teaching the course. While I did not take advantage of his office hours this semester, knowing that I could come to talk if I needed to was very reassuring. Conferences with him were always helpful, and it was clear that he cared about my work and was having a good time teaching and helping students.
- Teacher feedback both on assignments and in conferences was a great help overall as it really helped me figure out the areas that I was deficient in and that gave me a clear target/goal to then work on in my next writing piece. Overall, feedback was a big help in writing in this class.
- The class discussions forced me to expand my confidence in sharing my opinion on certain topics and also provided an engaging experience to understand other perspectives. The conferences did a great job at clarifying specific problems exhibited in my essays and forced me to address these problems rather than ignoring them.
