Santa Clara University

Joanna Ahlum

Adjunct Lecturer

Office: Varsi Hall 221
Phone: (408) 551-3083
Email: j1johnson@scu.edu

Teaching and Research Vision

At its heart, I believe education occurs within and for community. To that end, I strive to provide space for students to bring their whole selves into the classroom, lab, or garden in order to create a vibrant learning community. Rather than a factory where knowledge moves down an assembly line and exits as rows of neatly packaged boxes, I think education more closely resembles a diverse farm where many elements work to guide and shape the growth and development process. My ongoing experiences as a learner continue to offer compelling evidence that education is most transformative when our mind and heart engage in academic pursuits as a united front.

I am interested in exploring how cultivating and maintaining a connection between humans and the natural world can be beneficial, and perhaps essential, to both. As our population becomes increasingly urbanized, it seems as though a sense of place informed by the past and desirous of a sustainable future will be of growing concern. This has led me to a particular interest in the nexus of biodiversity conservation, experiential learning, and agriculture.

Courses Taught
ENVS 23 Soil, Water, & Air ENVS 132 Agroecology