Noah's love of international affairs has taken him all over the world. He's travelled to Siberia and Moscow, studied in Zimbabwe and worked in Belgium.
No wonder he's a firm believer in learning by doing. Whether his students are working at local non-profits or informing the United Nations through their research, their learning isn't limited to inside the classroom.
That's a big reason why he started HSU's Model United Nations (U.N.) program, a semester-long class that explores the international body and prepares students to participate in a global collegiate conference held each spring in San Francisco. During the event, students role-play as diplomats and develop solutions to real issues facing the U.N. such as gender inequality and reproductive health.
"Writing, being able to speak publicly in front of 100 of your peers, debating issues, negotiation—they're all skills you learn that will help you in life, even if you're not interested in diplomacy," he says.
Noah's research interests are broad. He focused on Russian studies as an undergraduate and explored American food security as a graduate student. His Ph.D. dissertation at York University in Canada examined agricultural biotechnology in Zimbabwe.
His interest in global food politics recently led him to South Africa, where he examined urban agriculture and food advocacy in the port town of Durban.
One of Noah's goals is to get students thinking about the political, economic and social dimensions of global food production and consumption.
"Often times we don't stop and think about where our food comes from," he says.
He does that through his Global Food Politics class and a blog he maintains on the topic. He also collaborates with students on research, like a current project examining Africa's role in the international discussion over genetically modified foods (GMOs).
Another group of students is examining state-owned investment projects in Darfur and developing countries. It's a pretty unique opportunity, given that the issue is currently being debated by the United Nations.
"Their reports are informing debate at the U.N. right now," Noah says.
