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|icon| Alt Masc 200
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   :description: "Alt" Masc 200

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Course Purpose and Philosophy
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There is a continuous and ongoing discourse around western men, such as the 'Masculinity Crisis' and 'Male Loneliness Epidemic'.
There are extensive discussions in media on what is 'wrong' with modern men and what they need to do to 'fix' themselves.
This course is informed by that discourse but does not seek to provide a specific template of the sort of masculinity that men should or must exhibit.

Rather than focusing on a prescriptive definition of masculinity, this course focuses on a descriptive approach where students discuss traits that men *may* have and challenges that men *may* face.
Students are invited to identify masculine traits and behaviors and to discuss when or how those traits and behaviors can be beneficial or detrimental.


Course Objectives
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#. Explore stories of masculinity

#. Describe the traits and behaviors that are often associated with western masculinity

#. Analyze the impact of these traits and behaviors upon individuals and communities

Man's flight through life is sustained by the power of his knowledge. - Austin L. Miller


Course Content
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.. toctree::
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   :caption: Contents:

   Lessons/0-Mulan.rst


About the Instructor
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I grew up in an Air Force family and attended the  `United States Air Force Academy <https://www.usafa.edu>`_ (USAFA).
After graduation, I served as an Advanced Weapons System Analyst at Barksdale AFB in the `49th Test and Evaluation Squadron <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/49th_Test_and_Evaluation_Squadron>`_, testing the `Air Launched Cruise Missile <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air-launched_cruise_missile>`_ and providing annual planning factors data on aircraft based nuclear weapons to `U.S. Strategic Command <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Strategic_Command>`_.
After earning my Masters in Applied Mathematics from `University of Washington <https://amath.washington.edu>`_, I joined the `Department of Mathematical Sciences at USAFA <https://www.usafa.edu/department/mathematics>`_, where I taught core math courses and advised math majors while also serving as the Officer in Charge for two cadet clubs, the Cadet Honor Guard and Freethinkers Club.
I earned my PhD in Applied Mathematics from `University of Colorado Boulder <https://www.colorado.edu/amath>`_, focusing on efficient, matrix-free implementations of finite element-like operators that can target CPU or GPU hardware.
I worked as part of the `PhyPID <https://phypid.org/people>`_ research group, mentoring graduate students in research and software development practices while developing cutting edge software that supports National Nuclear Security Administration research priorities under the `Predictive Science Academic Alliance Program <https://psaap.llnl.gov>`_ (PSAAP).

Through all of these experiences, my work has only been possible as part of a diverse team of individuals from different backgrounds working together to accomplish common missions.