Teaching & mentorship

Courses are designed by connecting explicit learning goals to activities and evidence of student learning. Brad built ESS 107 from the learning outcomes outward, then refined its lectures, assignments, and computational notebooks through classroom experience and student feedback. The same iterative process informs each course: teaching is treated as work that should improve with every offering.

Quantitative reasoning remains central, but the tools used to express that reasoning are changing quickly. In Hydrogeology, students use AI-assisted coding workflows—including coding agents—to frame problems, guide computational systems, and critically evaluate their output. The emphasis is not on accepting generated answers; it is on developing the scientific judgment needed to identify assumptions, test results, and recognize failure.

Other courses use complementary forms of active learning. ESS 107 computational notebooks put real cryospheric datasets in students’ hands. Hydrogeology uses partially flipped class meetings for applied problem solving. In Continuum Mechanics, students have selected final topics such as volcanic-conduit flow and ocean surface-gravity waves, turning course methods toward scientific problems they care about.

Graduate students and postdoctoral scholars meet regularly with Brad while developing intellectual ownership of their work. Undergraduate projects pair authentic research with the structure needed to build confidence and technical independence. Across levels, mentoring includes research design, ethical and reproducible practice, authorship and credit, scientific writing, oral communication, and career development.

Former trainees have moved into faculty, postdoctoral, graduate, research, industry, and public-facing science roles at institutions around the world. The People page records current group members and selected alumni destinations.