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Courses and research
As someone who pursued two bachelor degrees and a minor, I have engaged with many courses which have all taught me valuable lessons on tying interdisciplinary concepts into cohesive environmental and international frameworks. Below are some of the most memorable, impactful courses I have taken in my time at the University of Florida, along with several research projects I contributed to in my time at UF.
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Environmental course
International course
Honors global environmental issues
This course was my introduction to the combination of environmental science and international affairs. Professor Nation recognized the role of international cooperation in setting environmental precedents, and I became interested in continuing that precedent in my future career, in whatever capacity I could.
international development policy
Introduced to developmental policies and what it means for a country to be developing, I was able to learn the ways in which environmental systems
oftentimes suffer in the face of economic gain on the global stage. This was my introduction to foreign policy, and recognizing the connections of our modern world left a large impression on me.
Environmental Science
This class had a greater focus on science than on policy, but I profoundly enjoyed the ways in which they intersected. I was one of the only students to write our final research paper using a foreign country as a case study, as I chose to write about air pollution in Japan. I gained a greater appreciation for the circumstances that every country uniquely faces, and I welcome you to read the paper I wrote back in my sophomore year.
perspectives in international relations
This class let me see the world through a more globalist lens, analyzing contemporary issues and questioning established norms. By learning about foreign policy and international institutions, I was introduced a new way of looking at the world, one that would help me just two months later as I prepared to disembark on my study abroad program. Below is one sample of the research this class encouraged.
politics of sustainablity
One of two courses offered by the UF in Europe Program, this course involved analyzing fascinating case studies from the places we visited. By focusing on the ways in which we are similar rather than the ways in which we are different, I strongly believe that countries can better come together to address issues of global importance. In my final paper I was able to channel my perspective, bringing one practice from Europe back to the United States.
international environmental relations
This course perfectly exemplified what I want my career to be. Analyzing contemporary environmental issues and international institutions, I learned about the role of NGOs in community development to ensure environmental sustainability. This inspired me to one day volunteer abroad with some such organization. I also honed my love of foreign policy, specifically regional topics in East Asia, which inspired my final paper on policy considerations of regional air quality concerns.
environmental science lab
This field practical course took myself and a small group of my fellow Environmental Science majors around Gainesville to showcase the various environmental careers we could pursue. We traveled to many places, like Sweetwater Wetland Park (a man-made wetland to filter urban runoff), UF LEED Certified buildings, and a U.S. Geological Survey station. Seeing practical examples of environmental careers gave me insight into various paths my career could follow, as well as professional development standards to strive toward.
senior research seminar in
international relations
The culmination of my undergraduate experience, this seminar gave me infinite flexibility to choose and research any topic I wanted so long as it related to my geographical area of study. As I had written extensively on East Asia, I decided to orient my focus on Southeast Asia, hoping to gain a better perspective on Asia as a whole. I was surprised at how much I learned in the research process, and enjoyed producing a final paper that cohesively combined my background in both science and policy.
research experience
While the above courses taught me many valuable skills, I also developed practical research skills by both working in the graduate lab of Katie Hooker and alongside Professor Sahin.
katie hooker graduate lab
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My duties involved data processing and insect species analysis, contributing to the larger goal of analyzing the shifting population trends of fire ants as an invasive species due to climate change.
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This experience taught me a lot about collaborative lab work and scientific research methodology. But even more than this, I learned how to communicate in a professional, scientific setting. I also learned that while I did not want my future path to lead towards hard science research, my love of science and its real-world societal implications was solidified. In the context of policy, understanding the science behind legislation is essential, and I hope be one day be a scientifically-literate policy maker.
ant sample
mid-processing
emrah sahin's map
In my junior year I was hired by Emrah Sahin, a professor in UF's Turkish Department, to create a map. Given a general layout and data point placement, I went on to hand-draw, scan, and Photoshop a final product for his book. My work was fundamental to his publication "Faithful Encounters: Authorities and American Missionaries in the Ottoman Empire", which was released in October 2018.
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Below is the map I made, for which I am credited in his book.
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To learn more about his book, click here.
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