About the Author
- Page ID
- 54747
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Dedication
I want to dedicate this book to my family, whose love keeps me going.
Author Biography
Sohini is an educator and geographer dedicated to making higher education accessible, inclusive, and student-centered. With over a decade of teaching experience in the community college system, she currently serves as an equity-conscious faculty member focusing on Physical, Cultural, and World Regional Geography. She holds a PhD in Geography with specializations in Medical Geography and Disaster Management. Human connection and inclusivity have been central to her life decisions.
Driven by a commitment to educational equity and removing financial barriers for students, Sohini focuses much of her work on developing Open Educational Resources (OER) and Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) curricula. Her approach to teaching integrates modern spatial tools such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with diverse, inclusive perspectives that challenge traditional narratives in geography, making the curriculum deeply relatable for diverse student groups. She believes that geography is best learned when it connects directly to students' lived experiences and global communities.
When not teaching or writing, she enjoys exploring the world and experiencing its cultures through reading, travel, and photography, often bringing those global stories back into the classroom to humanize the landscapes she teaches.
Acknowledgements
An Open Educational Resource is, by its very nature, a labor of community, collaboration, and a shared belief that knowledge should be freely accessible to all. This book would not exist without the immense support, guidance, and encouragement of many individuals.
- To my students: Thank you for your curiosity, your insightful questions, and your feedback. You are the ultimate inspiration for this project. I wrote this book for you, hoping it makes your educational journey more accessible and engaging.
- To my colleagues and academic community: I am deeply grateful to the faculty, staff, and administration for fostering an environment that champions equity and pedagogical innovation. Thank you to everyone on the equity and curriculum committees who continuously push the boundaries of what inclusive excellence looks like in the classroom. Special thanks to my peers who reviewed early drafts, shared resources, and offered invaluable feedback to ensure this text meets the highest standards of accuracy and clarity.
- To the OER and ZTC community, project initiators, and project managers: Thank you to the advocates, librarians, and creators whose foundational work paved the way for open education. Your dedication to breaking down institutional barriers is transforming how we teach and learn. Thank you to my project manager for keeping me on track.
- To my teachers and professors: Thank you for cultivating my passion for learning and for always encouraging my intellectual curiosity. Your dedication to education has truly shaped my journey.
- To my family and friends: A project of this scale requires patience, time, and sacrifice, not just from the author, but from those closest to them. Thank you to my family, especially my daughter, for your endless support, love, and encouragement, for understanding the long hours spent at the keyboard, and for always being my anchor.
- To everyone who offered a kind word, a critical review, or a moment of encouragement along the way: Thank you. This book belongs to all of us.