Teaching
I teach courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. I also supervise students on their senior undergraduate thesis and graduate dissertation in a variety of interdisciplinary subjects. This section provides insight into courses I have taught and projects I have supervised over the years.
Undergraduate
Project Advising
Improving Oral Contraceptives: Encouraging Research into Oral Contraceptives and Their Side Effects
Student: Yvonne Niebuhr (Spring 2021)
Advisor: Dr. Crystal H. Brown
This project encourages research into oral contraceptives (OCs) and their side effects and serves as a blueprint for further research. Survey data was collected on participants’ experiences with OCs. This data was used to compare brands of OCs according to side effects reported. A Side Effects Troubleshooting Tool (SETT) was also designed. This tool is provided as a resource for patients, a reference for healthcare providers, and a blueprint for future research and development. This project made a step toward addressing the side effects of OCs by listening to the experiences of people who have used OCs, conducting initial research into the problem, and encouraging further research to improve experiences with OCs for all.
Route 12 & 31 Intersection Design: Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Students: Frankie Ann Schripsema, Makayla D’Amore, Adam Klosner (Spring 2021)
Advisor: Dr. Crystal H. Brown and Suzanne LePage
An intersection located in Fitchburg, Massachusetts has experienced a high number of crashes recently. To address the current and foreseeable issues, a short-term and long-term design was provided to the Montachusett Regional Planning Commission. A geometric improvement on Westminster Street was selected as the short-term recommendation along with the addition of a traffic signal to the intersection as the long-term recommendation. ATR counts, manual turning movement counts, and speed studies were conducted. In addition, a level-of-service analysis and a signal warrant analysis were done. The team met with multiple agencies
including Montachusett Regional Planning Commission, MassDOT, and the Public Works Department for Fitchburg to gain additional insight on the intersection.
HIV/AIDS in Namibia and Thailand: A Comparative Policy Study
Student: Julia R. Noel (Fall 2020)
Advisor: Dr. Crystal H. Brown
The HIV/AIDS epidemic has been impacting people globally since the early 1980s. As the disease spread around the world, both Namibia and Thailand were identified as epicenters. Currently, Namibia continues to struggle with the HIV/AIDS epidemic, whereas Thailand has been hailed as a success story. This study examined whether the lessons learned from Thailand can be applied to Namibian policy development and provided a series of recommendations.
Courses
Undergraduate Courses
Women in Politics
(Fall 2021)
Introduction to International Politics
(Spring 2020, 2021)
American Public Policy
(Fall 2019, 2020)
US Government
(Fall 2019, 2020)
Peace and Conflict Studies
(Spring 2019)
Graduate Courses
Mixed Methods
(Spring 2022)