Philosophy
Teaching in a medical school is one of the greatest privileges of my career. As a sociologist and bioethicist, I believe education should not only inform but transform—equipping future health professionals to see the human, structural, and ethical dimensions of care.
My teaching is grounded in three interrelated commitments:
Fostering transformative learning that blends critical thinking with humanistic reflection;
Centering community voice as essential to health education, not peripheral;
Mentoring the whole student—as learners, future professionals, and moral agents.
Whether I’m teaching a class on immigration and health, ethics in dentistry, or community engagement in North Philadelphia, I aim to create learning spaces where students can wrestle with complexity, ask hard questions, and build habits of empathy and justice.
In 2024, I was honored to receive the LKSOM Educational Excellence Award for Graduate/Non-MD Professional Program Teaching—recognition that reflects my deep commitment to pedagogy and mentorship.
Courses Taught
Community Engagement I & II
Fall & Spring | Master’s in Health Justice and Bioethics (MHJB), Temple University
This year-long sequence immerses students in the theory and practice of community-engaged research. Combining CBPR principles with site-based learning, students work alongside community organizations in Philadelphia to examine health challenges and co-develop solutions. Topics include power and trust in research, structural violence, and the ethics of partnership. Co-taught with community collaborators.
Critical Social Science and Urban Bioethics
Fall | MHJB Core Course
This seminar introduces students to critical theories from sociology, anthropology, and public health and applies them to urban bioethics. Students examine how race, class, and policy shape illness and care, and gain hands-on experience with qualitative research design. The course challenges students to reflect on their positionality and the ethical stakes of their research.
Immigration, Health, and Urban Life
Spring | MD Curriculum & MHJB Elective
An interdisciplinary course exploring how immigration status, racialization, and place shape access to care and experiences of illness. Students analyze immigrant health disparities, public charge policies, medical-legal partnerships, and ethical responsibilities toward undocumented and mixed-status patients.
Bioethics and Critical Thinking in Dentistry
Spring | Kornberg School of Dentistry, Temple University
This course helps dental residents explore foundational bioethics concepts—autonomy, justice, beneficence—through real-world cases. Topics include confidentiality, oral health inequities, cultural competence, and the ethics of cosmetic procedures. Emphasis is placed on reflection and practical decision-making.
Dental Ethics and Jurisprudence
Summer | Preclinical Dental Students, Temple University
This course equips future dentists with the ethical and legal tools they need for practice. Through case-based discussion, students explore the ADA Code of Ethics, legal accountability, and the impact of structural determinants on oral health. The course emphasizes critical reflection and advocacy within the dental profession.
Bringing Education to Life
I strive to bring innovation, community, and reflection into every class I teach. I co-lead a service learning program with Prison Health News, in which medical students respond to health information requests from incarcerated individuals—an initiative that has been featured in BMJ and Medical Education.
I also incorporate diverse teaching tools: student reflections, multimedia cases, role-plays, and narrative ethics exercises. These approaches help students connect structural knowledge with personal and professional insight.