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Teaching

Dr. Vriesman showing off fossils at a Biodiversity Exhibit in the Earth and Planetary Sciences Department at UC Davis in 2018.

I am a product of a liberal arts education, and I deeply value undergraduate education. I strive to create an inclusive and equitable classroom environment with high expectations for student growth. I mix hands-on activities with lectures and seminars to provide students with a variety of ways to absorb and apply new knowledge. It is my goal for all students in my classrooms to develop a greater appreciation for the Earth.

As an instructor, I have three teaching goals regardless of the course level: (1) I want students to leave my classroom with a general appreciation for the Earth, (2) I seek to equip students with a sense of scientific literacy, and (3) I aim to help students develop tools and characteristics that will enable them to thrive in their own careers and contribute to their communities. Based on my own experiences as a geology major at a liberal arts college, I believe that earth and environmental science courses can contribute significantly to a student’s ability to live a thoughtful, meaningful life whether or not they choose to become a scientist.

Courses at Pitzer and Scripps

  • EA 100 Global Climate Change
  • EA 30 Introduction to Environmental Science

Previous Courses Taught

  • GEOS 419 Capstone Seminar (Oberlin)
  • GEOS 204 Evolution of the Earth (Oberlin)
  • GEOS 130H Lessons from Life History (Oberlin)
  • GEOS 320 Paleontology (Oberlin)
  • GEL 232 Oceans and Climate (UC Davis)
  • GEL 003 History of Life (UC Davis)
  • GEL 150C Biological Oceanography (UC Davis)
  • GEL 001 The Earth (UC Davis)