Mark Moritz

Mark Moritz (Ph.D. UCLA 2003) is a professor in the Department of Anthropology. He uses a transdisciplinary approach to study complex social-ecological systems. His collaborative research projects with colleagues in the US and Cameroon have examined how pastoralists sustainably use common-pool grazing resources in a situation of open access, whether and how pastoral mobility affects the transmission of infectious livestock diseases, and how floodplain fisheries shape and are shaped by regime shifts. Trained in backward course design, Mark has redesigned undergraduate courses and graduate seminars in the department. He recently used a grant from the Affordable Learning Exchange (ALX) to redesign the course Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (ANTHROP 2202) so that students engage in experiential learning activities and live their way into a new way of thinking – an anthropological way of thinking. Check out his website for more information about research and teaching activities: http://mlab.osu.edu/teaching

Teaching philosophy: It is all about backward course design in which student learning is central. Everything else follows logically from that orientation.

On being a mentor: I enjoy supporting my students and colleagues in their pedagogical endeavors and encouraging them to try new things, ask questions, and make connections.

Rewarding moment: When a former undergraduate student, who completed his PhD at another institution, listed two of my active learning courses on his list of three courses that changed his life on Twitter.

Best teaching advice received or given: It's all about helping students learn.

Advice for new faculty: Use Carmen Common Sense.