I believe that the goal of teaching is to give students the tools they need to work independently and within multidisciplinary groups. While certain fundamental scientific concepts are the core of my teaching, the students are given freedom to pursue their own interests and form independent ideas. To this end, I think it is critical to incorporate a certain amount of self-directed education into any course. However, it is also important to set educational goals that are appropriate for the student, the subject of study, and the expectations of the university and of society in general. Goals should be reasonable, and students’ progress toward them should be measurable. A combination of structured lectures and independent oral and written presentations for lower-level courses and increasingly independent projects and group work for upper-level courses will be the basis of my teaching. For environmental chemistry I believe that fieldwork and laboratoy work are important components of the program. My teaching philosophy is aimed at producing active learners who can think critically about science and apply relevant skills to current topics. My teaching philosophy is based on three principles: