An Assistant Professor of International Development in the Department of Marine Affairs, Lisa Hiwasaki is ATL’s Faculty Spotlight for December 2024.
What course(s) do you teach, or have you taught, at URI?
I have taught Global Issues in Sustainable Development (MAF350/NRS300) every year since starting at URI in Spring 2021. In the past two years I have also been teaching Human Responses to Coastal Hazards and Disasters (MAF475) and International Development Seminar (MAF496). MAF496 is the capstone seminar for students minoring in International Development.
What is your proudest teaching moment of the last year?
A student came back, three years after I taught them, and told me that taking my MAF350/NRS300 class opened their eyes to overlapping and intersecting sustainability issues they had not considered before. They told me how they changed their career path because of what they learned.
Who is a teaching mentor that you have, and what did you learn from them?
My anthropology professor in college. His enthusiasm and love for what he was teaching was palpable, and his curiosity for different cultures around the world was contagious. I only took his class because it was the only class that was available at that time… but after that first class I took many more, ended up majoring in anthropology, and went on to get a master’s in anthropology as well. I learned that loving what you teach, and not being afraid to show your enthusiasm for it, can inspire students.
What are you excited to do next in the classroom?
Incorporating more peer-learning opportunities. A wide range of majors across URI take my courses, especially MAF350/NRS300 Global Issues in Sustainable Development class, which is a GenEd class, and I see that as such a great opportunity. My goal for next year is to implement different methods that allow me to facilitate students learning from each other.
What do you hope students look back on in ten years and say about your class(es)?
That we face many sustainability challenges: climate change, growing inequalities, biodiversity loss, poverty, water scarcity, racial injustice… but if each of us commit to work together and take action, we can solve these challenges.
How do you relax after a long day of teaching?
Since moving to RI, I discovered some great local yarn shops and I have taken up knitting again. It is a great way to decompress after a long day!
What do you like to do for fun?
I was gifted a kayak for my birthday this year. In spring and summer, you will find me on the Seekonk River or other bodies of water nearby.