Adjunct Faculty at Virginia Wesleyan University

In 2016, after completing my M.S. in Soil and Water Science, I returned to my alma mater, Virginia Wesleyan University, to share my graduate school and USDA NRCS internship experiences with Earth and Environmental Science students. That presentation led to an unexpected and transformative invitation: to join the faculty as an adjunct. It was a life changing moment for me and an absolute dream come true.

I have had the privilege of teaching at VWU for over eight years now. I find fulfillment in each course, but developing and teaching the university's first soil science course holds a special place in my heart. Many students come to the class with little to no background in soil science, and I'm deeply gratified to share my passion and watch their enthusiasm take root.

You can view brief summaries of the courses I have taught below. I'm also qualified and interested in teaching courses on subjects such as hydric soils, wetlands (types, indicators, mapping, etc.), and soil conservation.

In addition to developing, modifying, and teaching courses, I also mentor students, assist with various student and faculty research projects, and oversee the work of teaching assistants. I also manage the departmental LinkedIn group where I frequently share internship and job opportunities as well as information on relevant professional development opportunities.

I have experience teaching courses face-to-face as well as fully online. Blackboard is the LMS utilized at VWU, but I also have experience using Canvas. I also use Mentimeter.com to provide interactive and engaging lectures that my students enjoy.

Visit the VWU Earth and Environmental Sciences website!

Courses Taught

EES 330 Advanced Topics

in Geology - Soil

As the sole instructor for this hybrid course, I developed and teach both the online lecture and in-person lab sections. This course covers the following topics: soil formation, soil physical properties, soil biological properties, soil chemical properties, soil classification and surveys, soil water, soil temperature, soil fertility and plant nutrition, soil management, soil conservation, and hydric soils. Field trips include First Landing State Park to observe coastal soil formation, Flanagan Farms to observe a soil catena, and the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center to observe and describe soil pits.

EES 300 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems

As the sole instructor, I developed and taught an online version of Introduction to Geographic Information Systems. This course covers the following topics: types of GIS data, obtaining GIS data, managing GIS data, coordinate systems, mapping GIS data, presenting GIS data, attribute data, and editing data.

EES 131 Physical Geology (Laboratory)

Lab instructor for Physical Geology, EES 131, covering the following topics: minerals and rocks, plate tectonics, volcanoes, geologic age, topographic maps and digital elevation models, geologic maps, earthquakes, and GIS. This class is held face-to-face.

EES 133 Environmental Geology (Lecture)

Lecturer for Environmental Geology, EES 133, covering the following topics: Earth systems, rocks and minerals, climate change, earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, soil, mass wasting, freshwater resources, flooding, coastal environments, energy, and waste management. This class is held face-to-face.

Mentimeter Presentations

I love to use Mentimeter.com to host interactive lectures. Click here for an example!

Teaching Highlights & Other Contributions

Integrates geospatial technologies across multiple courses to support spatial thinking, data interpretation, and applied environmental decision-making
Consistently high student evaluations with strong engagement and course satisfaction
Oversees Teaching Assistants (as assigned), including instructional support and professional development guidance
Developed and implemented a departmental alumni engagement plan (graduate survey; outreach strategy; managed digital presence; helps organize annual spring alumni social)
Organized and moderated an alumni panel (Spring 2026) connecting 50+ students/faculty with professionals for career networking
Invited speaker/mentor, 2026 Environment Virginia Symposium (Virginia Military Institute): Young Professionals Networking Panel
Keynote speaker, Virginia Wesleyan University Veterans Day Ceremony, 2020

Technical & Professional Core Competencies

Teaching & Instructional Strengths

Field- and lab-based instruction (soils, geology, environmental science)
Online/hybrid course design; active learning; authentic assessments
Curriculum development; student mentoring; instructional materials (StoryMaps)

Soil Science & Wetlands

Soil morphology, classification/taxonomy, and interpretation (including hydric soils)
Wetland delineation and compliance (field indicators; redox features; hydrology)
Soil health concepts and conservation applications

GIS, Remote Sensing & Spatial Analysis

ArcGIS Pro/Online; geodatabases; metadata; projections
LiDAR/DEM terrain derivatives; aerial imagery interpretation
Cartography; map design; spatial workflows; introductory Python/ArcGIS automation

Field Methods & Professional Practice

Field data collection (GPS) and site documentation; safety leadership
Technical writing and scientific communication; public speaking

Research Experience

USDA-NRCS Lead Agency Partner: USACE Norfolk District Hydrology Study 2017 – 2023

Served as the primary USDA subject matter expert and sole non-agency representative on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) hydrology study team for the Norfolk District. This multi-year interagency collaboration involved the annual monitoring of over 20 groundwater wells across Southeast Virginia to establish definitive water table benchmarks within mineral flat wetlands. Responsible for the technical oversight of well installation and monitoring, data synthesis, and the production of statewide reports used for critical wetland delineations during the growing season. This work bridged the gap between pedologic and hydrologic data to ensure regulatory precision for both Food Security Act and Clean Water Act compliance, providing a foundational data set for regional land-use.

Graduate Research: University of Florida 2016

Leveraged Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to conduct a high-resolution vulnerability assessment titled Mapping the Potential Impact of Sea Level Rise on Agricultural Land in Virginia Beach, Virginia. This research modeled the intersection of rising sea levels and agricultural soil vulnerability to inform long-term municipal land-use strategies. The findings were presented to the City of Virginia Beach Agriculture Advisory Committee and a summary was disseminated nationally through publication in the National Cooperative Soil Survey Center Newsletter, Issue 76 (August 2016), serving as a benchmark for local climate resiliency discussions.

USDA-NRCS Virginia: Highly Erodible Land (HEL) Tool Development 2016

Spearheaded the technical testing and validation of a remote GIS methodology designed to modernize Highly Erodible Land (HEL) determinations for federal Food Security Act compliance. By replacing traditional manual assessments with a streamlined, remote-sensing-based tool using LiDAR data, this project significantly enhanced the operational efficiency of USDA field staff nationwide.

Courses Prepared to Teach

Introductory Soil Science
Environmental Soil Science / Soil Classification
Wetland Delineation / Hydric Soils
Introduction to GIS
Advanced GIS / Spatial Analysis
Environmental Science
Physical Geology

Personal Teaching Statement

Teaching Statement 2025.pdf

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