Teaching
Teaching
Instructor of Record
With more than half of the world’s population living in urban areas, cities have increasingly become regarded as laboratories of governance and democracy home to distinctive political behavior and institutions. In this course, we will examine urban politics in the comparative and global setting through various lenses of urban planning, politics, and poverty in connection to current global events.
Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA)
Instructor of Record: Dr. Robert Fatton
A survey of government and politics in the “Global South.” Particular attention will be paid to the rule of political elites and their sources of power. We will also examine processes of democratization and national integration, as well as patterns of economic development, foreign penetration, and social inequalities in the context of “globalization."
Instructor of Record: Dr. David Waldner
Introduction to Comparative Politics surveys the major themes, theories, and methods of domestic politics around the globe in the modern era. Thematically, we examine the gap between rich and poor nations, between democracies and dictatorships, and between civil war and civic orders. Theoretically, we consider theories of political culture, political institutions, and political economy.
Instructor of Record: Dr. James Ceaser
Surveys the fundamentals of American government and politics, systematically covering the major institutions of our system as well as the system's essential processes.
Grader
Instructor of Record: Dr. Nicholas Winter and Dr. Kirill Zhirkov
This course includes two semi-autonomous components: statistics and math. The statistics component of this course introduces students to some basic theory and methods for conducting quantitative analyses in political science, with a focus on statistics and data analysis. The mathematics component introduces students to the mathematical background that will be used (to some extent) in this course and that will be assumed in future quantitative methodology courses. The primary goals are to give students tools to begin applying quantitative methods in their own work, to prepare them for further coursework, and to situate statistics within the broader endeavor of data analysis (and that within the broader endeavor of social science research). Thus, in the statistics component, the course begins at the beginning—with basic probability theory—then moves through single-variable statistical analysis, and concludes with regression analysis. The lectures and problem sets include a moderate amount of statistical theory, because familiarity with the underlying theory is believed to be critical to the smart application of statistical techniques, but emphasize the relevance of that theory to data analysis. The later problem sets shift the emphasis toward application and data analysis.
Instructor of Record: Dr. Paul Freedman
This course looks at the production and consumption of food in a political context. We will explore legislation, regulation, and other policies that affect the food system and examine their implications for the environment, public health and democratic politics. We will look closely at controversies over agricultural subsidies, labeling requirements, farming practices, food safety, advertising and education.
Selected Teaching Evaluations
“Emily Warwick is an exceptional educator. Her communication skills are incredibly effective, her knowledge of the content is deep, and her enthusiasm for learning, teaching, and researching comes through in her work. The way in which she conducted herself in discussion section facilitated a welcoming environment where students felt safe to ask questions and seek help. The activities and discussions she created for us showed that she clearly put a lot of energy and thought into creating a course which would enrich our education. To sum it all up, I was incredibly impressed with Emily's dedication, intelligence, and commitment. Truly great work.”
"Emily Warwick was a truly incredible TA. Truly a gift. She was wise and used her real life experience to enrich course content. She was passionate about course content and made us excited to learn. She explained concepts in ways which made them digestible. Her discussion section flew by."
"My experience in this class discussion section was by far the most effective and positive experience out of all of the discussion sections I have been in. The instructor did a great job in reinforcing material from readings and whole class lecture, and ensured that students gained clarity after discussion section. Overall an engaging and highly effective learning experience."
"Discussion and activities in class were incredibly helpful to my enjoyment of and performance in the course. The instructor was very thoughtful in her facilitation and creation of these activities, and had thought–provoking questions which pushed students to dig deeper into our own personal beliefs and course content. Pedagogically, this is the best run discussion section I have yet to encounter in my undergraduate career, all thanks to Emily."
"I have no suggestions. Overall, it was such a great course and I had an amazing experience!! The format and execution of the course was very effective for the purposes of a discussion section: deeper engagement with and clarification of course material. I felt that the discussion section immensely contributed and was essential to my learning, and equipped me with resources to ensure that I would succeed in this course."
"Emily was amazing. I have other large lectures that require a discussion sections, but this one is the only one that truly contributes to my learning. I appreciated the reinforcement of the readings and important topics learned in lecture. Also, in general I think that Emily is a great teacher and has inspired me to want to continue with political science and foreign affairs. I'd love to take another one of her classes in the future."
"Emily is one of the best TAs I've ever had! The depth of her knowledge on development was so evident, and she would draw on anecdotes from her own research or examples from her studies, which really supplemented my learning. She was also so enthusiastic and encouraging, making efforts to get to know students as individuals. I thought her exam prep was very helpful – especially having us start to write and bring together the semester content."
"Emily created a comfortable learning environment in which I felt valued, respected, and supported. I always looked forward to discussion section because I knew that I would benefit from both the academic components of the learning experience as well as the acceptance and support that was fostered in the class."
"Emily created an environment respecting diverse perspectives by allowing each student to give their personal and diverse opinion on material while simultaneously addressing the correct responses/answers for each article/topic we covered. She also created a welcoming environment with her kind and welcoming personality."
"Emily is probably the best TA I have ever had for a class. She is always prepared, she is extremely knowledgable about the course material, and she genuinely wants everyone in her sections to succeed in the course. She makes herself extremely available for the needs of every student, and I would not have succeeded in this class as much as I have without her help and instruction."
"Emily was conscientious about her choice of words when discussing difficult political topics, and I genuinely valued that. Not all professors or teaching assistants grasp the importance of phrasing and diction when navigating sensitive topics. However, Emily demonstrated thorough preparation and a keen sense of appropriateness in her approach. Additionally, she was equitable and impartial as a teaching assistant, ensuring that all students had an opportunity to contribute by calling on everyone equally and amplifying their voices."
"I loved my TA for this course. She went above and beyond what I would expect for her role. She helped to ensure we understood and created detailed lecture slides, which she posted on Canvas for us to view while studying. Each discussion had a different and fun activity which made us recall course material. Emily is hands down the best TA I've had at UVA, she has a genuine care for the topics and her students. She is definitely going places in academia."
"Emily is one of the best TAs I have ever had. I truly feel lucky to have had her guide me through this course. She was incredibly meticulous and intentional with the information she provided us. Additionally, she was very responsive and always there to answer any questions."
"This was the best and most effective discussion section I've ever been in! Emily did a great job of engaging us all asking for our local news, creating engaging activities for review, and giving helpful lectures to review the material from the week. She also facilitated small group and whole group discussion in a great way – incentivizing students to participate by having there be a casual weekly activity. I also appreciated having the brainstorm of my paper due so early in the semester – this forced me to get a headstart on my paper and was so helpful to that process. This was my last discussion section ever at UVA, and a great note to end on!"