Teaching

I believe in creating an engaging, interactive learning environment where students develop both conceptual understanding and practical skills. My teaching integrates real-world case studies, simulations, and hands-on data analysis to make political science methods and theories accessible and relevant.

Teaching Experience

Introduction to Comparative Politics (PS 6)

Teaching Assistant

Professor Jorge Moreno Plascencia · UC Santa Barbara · Summer 2025

Course Description

This introductory course surveys the major concepts, theories, and methods of comparative politics. Topics include regime types, democratization, political institutions, political economy, identity politics, and political violence, with case studies drawn from a range of countries across the developing and developed world.

Energy Politics (POL S 176)

Co-Instructor & Teaching Assistant

Professor Leah Stokes · UC Santa Barbara · Spring 2025

Course Description

This course introduces students to the politics and policy of the contemporary global energy system, covering major public policy related to both electricity and transportation systems with a focus on American politics alongside comparative energy policy cases.

Introduction to Research in Political Science (POL S 15)

Teaching Assistant

Professor Paasha Mahdavi · UC Santa Barbara · Winter 2025

Course Description

The course teaches basic statistical techniques for describing and making inferences from data. Students learn R, a widely used statistical platform, and develop skills to understand and critique research and perform basic statistical analyses.

Introduction to Research in Political Science (POL S 15)

Teaching Assistant

Professor Cesar Benshuni Martinez-Alvarez · UC Santa Barbara · Fall 2024

Course Description

The course teaches basic statistical techniques for describing and making inferences from data using R.

Introduction to Research in Political Science (POL S 15)

Teaching Assistant

Professor Cesar Benshuni Martinez-Alvarez · UC Santa Barbara · Winter 2024

Course Description

The course teaches basic statistical techniques for describing and making inferences from data using R.

Comparative Political Economy of the Energy Transition (POL S 106ET)

Teaching Assistant

Professor Paasha Mahdavi · UC Santa Barbara · Fall 2023

Course Description

An introduction to the political economy of energy and environment through the lens of climate policy and the clean energy transition, examining how politics shapes and is shaped by the energy transition across sovereign contexts.

Individual Research (POLS 199RA)

Research Supervisor

Professor Paasha Mahdavi & EGAPE Lab · UC Santa Barbara · Spring 2023

Course Description

Students assist in coding firms' SEC filings according to climate disclosure rules, learning about content analysis (automated and human-coded) as a measurement strategy in political science.

Introduction to Research in Political Science (POL S 15)

Teaching Assistant

Professor Leah Stokes · UC Santa Barbara · Winter 2023

Course Description

The course teaches basic statistical techniques for describing and making inferences from data using R.

Comparative Environmental Politics (POL 177)

Teaching Assistant

Professor Lorelei Moosbrugger · UC Santa Barbara · Summer 2023

Course Description

This course examines environmental politics from a comparative perspective, analyzing how different political systems, institutions, and interest groups shape environmental policy outcomes across countries. Topics include climate change governance, resource management, environmental justice, and the role of international organizations.

Student Evaluations

Selected evaluation scores and student feedback from courses with available data. All evaluation PDFs are linked above under each course.

Energy Politics (POL S 176) — Spring 2025

Co-Instructor & Teaching Assistant · Professor Leah Stokes

Organization
4.6/5
Explanations
4.2/5
Answering Questions
4.4/5
Student Interaction
4.6/5
Feedback
4.2/5
Atmosphere
4.6/5
Accessibility
4.6/5
I learned a lot in this course and section was a great, collaborative learning environment!
Good TA, very chill, great guy and I went to his office hours even when he was sick, and he was able to help me. I wish the best for him!
He was very approachable and helped me with a lot of my assignments when I needed help.

Comparative Political Economy of the Energy Transition (POL S 106ET) — Fall 2023

Teaching Assistant · Professor Paasha Mahdavi

Organization
4.8/5
Explanations
4.8/5
Answering Questions
4.7/5
Student Interaction
4.9/5
Feedback
4/5
Atmosphere
4.6/5
Accessibility
4.4/5
Denis provided ample opportunity for discussion but still ensured that we were clued in to the most important points and arguments. Denis has an invaluable wealth of knowledge. As far as his performance as a TA, he is of the highest order, surpassing all others.
I would say that this has been one of my favorite experiences with a TA, and I feel that Denis greatly impacted the quality of the course at large. The simulations were my favorite part of the class, and they functioned seamlessly.
He had a great way of explaining topics to students, and he made each section very interactive and easy to follow along with.
Denis has done a great job in creating an engaging and open learning environment through sections and the organizations of class simulations.

Introduction to Research in Political Science (POL S 15) — Winter 2023

Teaching Assistant · Professor Leah Stokes

Overall effectiveness: Excellent (1.0 on 1–5 scale where 1 = Excellent)

The office hours were very helpful, breaking down the coding and concepts was really useful. Overall, one of the best TA's I've had at UCSB.
Very thorough. Really dedicated to making sure we understood the material and did well on our coursework.
Unfortunately, I have no suggestions. You're awesome, Denis!

CV of Failure

The CV of Failure is an empowering concept that encourages embracing failure as a natural part of life, destigmatizing it and recognizing its value as a learning opportunity. By openly acknowledging our failures, we can demonstrate honesty and transparency, building trust and credibility with others.

Inspired by Dr. Emily T. Troscianko.