Benjamin Mertus

Assistant Professor

Portrait of a person outdoors wearing a light patterned button-up shirt, with blurred foliage background.

Teaching

I have always been fascinated by the social sciences; they're interesting and fun to think about and I always try to convey this sense of fascination to my students. Each class I teach is a microcosm of our community, as students bring their diverse perspectives gained from different life experiences. I see this as the greatest resource to teach from, as we discuss sociological topics, learn from one another, and explore how we are all connected across different societal scales. Because of this, I love supplementing lectures with weekly classroom discussions where students can connect course concepts to personal experiences. Additionally, I have a background in environmental anthropology, so I'm always interested in encouraging students to think about social relationships beyond the human.

Institution Major Emphasis Degree
The Ohio State University Anthropology Ph.D.