How a father’s activism sparked lifelong curiosity
Arizona State University associate professor Katie Hinde brings her passion for global health and biological anthropology to her students each and every day. Her journey as an educator began during her childhood. Growing up in rural Ohio, Hinde saw how her father struggled to adjust to civilian life following the Vietnam War.
“My dad was a Vietnam veteran, and he had a lot of mental health challenges from his service,” Hinde said. “He tried having a number of traditional jobs, and [he] was never fulfilled by them.” Hinde’s father eventually found his calling as a peace activist and street singer, sharing his experience as a veteran to educate the public and inspire future generations.
Seeing her father’s passion for activism and commitment to making the world a better place made a lasting impact on Hinde. “I think in so many ways, my dad's activism was an inspiration to me,” she stated. “Because although we can seek education to satisfy our own curiosities about the world, we have the biggest impact when we take that learning and bring it back to our families and communities.”
While Hinde’s father passed away before she became a professor, his memory lives on through his influence on her life and career. “As I've progressed in my career as a professor, I see the imprint of my dad's influence more and more in the work I do,” associate professor Hinde explained. “It's a really wonderful thing to have that connection across time with him, even though he's no longer actively with us to see that.”
Why Hinde enjoys teaching online courses
Katie Hinde’s ASU Online courses offer the perfect environment to form meaningful connections in the classroom. In fact, she credits the online format with helping her break down the digital walls between her and her students. “By teaching in online spaces and building assignments where there's a back and forth dialogue between me and the learner, I'm able to reach the more introverted students, or students whose schedules don't let them come to office hours,” she said.
The result is an exchange of ideas, knowledge and perspectives that aren’t always possible with in-person learning. As Hinde put it, “The online learning environment just takes away all of those boundaries between who gets to talk and how we can build our conversations in meaningful learning ways.”