Teaching

While my current position at the Horizons Project focuses on applied research, I regularly give public lectures as a visiting expert or join undergraduate or graduate class sessions as a guest lecturer on various topics related to nonviolent action, peacebuilding, and democratization. If you are interested in having me speak to your class please reach out via the contact information on my contact page.

I am also, as of Fall 2022, teaching part-time at the department of political science at George Washington University.

Courses Taught

George Washington University

University of Denver

Courses as Teaching Assistant

University of Denver

  • Crime and International Relations
  • US Foreign Policy

University of Colorado Denver

  • Introduction to International Relations

Guest Lectures (Selected)

  • Nonviolent Resistance in Conflict Processes, American University.
  • Nonviolent Action as a Strategy of Social Movements, Carnegie Mellon University.
  • Democratization and Nonviolent Resistance, Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
  • The Power of Protest, Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
  • When Civil Resistance Succeeds, Baha’i Chair for World Peace Lecture Series, University of Maryland. (Video)
  • Brave New Threats and Strategies: Drones, Cyber, Contractors, Robots, University of Denver.

Selected Student Feedback

“Great teacher. Spends a lot of time engaging with the class, very enthusiastic, and you can tell the subject matter is his passion. It’s always great to have a teacher who LOVES TO TEACH and isn’t just doing it because that’s his job. Helpful and insightful.”

“Great at encouraging participation, enthusiastic about the topic, well-organized and has clear plans for every lesson.”

“Professor Pinckney is an exemplary professor. I do not remember anyone asking a question that he did not know the answer to. He was energetic, optimistic, helpful, and genuine. He clearly put a lot of effort into this course from choosing valuable readings, to creating fun and helpful simulations, and giving different options for midterms/finals to fit different students’ learning styles so that they may succeed. He presented the material in different ways to cater to different learning styles and he encouraged students to ask questions to ensure they understood the topic. His expectations were high but reasonable.”

“He brought context, enthusiasm, patience, and openness to every class session. He navigated through difficult topics with grace and made every student feel welcome and offered the option to share opinions and values safely. Because of this, I got a lot more out of the course. I love that he gave a mid-quarter evaluation so he could improve his own teaching style to better our class rather than waiting and trying next time. Based on our reflections, he made the appropriate changes. I am very sad to learn that he will not be teaching a class next quarter. DU is incredibly lucky to have Dr. Pinckney as a professor.”

“[His strengths are] his ability to be so positive even when talking about difficult and controversial topics. He is sensitive to all views and tries to break down what students say to relate it back to the material. This is an extremely effective discussion facilitator. He also asks very interesting and difficult questions.”

“This class was really great because we had lots of exercises that forced us to think about what we had just learned in lecture and apply it to a situation. This kind of learning works really well for me as I was able to try thinking out of the box and challenge myself. Also Professor Pinckney was really upbeat and enthusiastic about the material which made the 8am not too painful.”

“He made it very easy to learn and understand the material. He taught it in a very effective way and left no room for confusion. His examples enhanced the concepts he was teaching and he is a great teacher! I super liked him.”

“Dr. Pinckney created a great balance between discussion, lectures, and readings. The class was always engaging and with assigned reading quizzes, everyone in class got an opportunity to talk about a topic. The small group discussions were great for facilitating great ideas and solutions to problems. I loved the focus on coming up with solutions rather than just talking about IR issues.”

“Professor Pinckney was a very effective instructor. He is passionate about what he teaches which makes the class more interesting. He was very helpful and cared about our feedback. He provided his own surveys for us for the course. He is also conscious that some students learn differently or are comfortable with different things and provided a variety of opportunities for students.”

“I cannot sing Professor Pinckney’s praises loud enough. I don’t know what his aspirations are and I am sure that he will have no shortage of opportunities, but Professor Pinckney is an astoundingly effective educator and an incredible asset to the University of Denver. His knowledge seemingly knows no bounds and his enthusiasm is unwavering. The careful thought put into each and every class was plainly evident. I have never witnessed a Professor draw her/his class into the material as effectively as Professor Pinckney. I know this is getting repetitive, but I feel compelled to write it one more time: Professor Pinckney is a staggeringly gifted educator.”

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