Teaching
Elaine’s areas of teaching specialty include the history of American architecture and urbanism, material culture, consumer culture and spaces, historic preservation theory and practice, vernacular architecture, and cultural landscape studies.
Independently Developed Courses
History, Memory, and the Built Environment
Introduction to Preservation Studies (undergraduate)
Introduction to Preservation Practices (graduate)
Building Documentation and Research Methods
Preservation Economics
Preservation Law & Regulation
American Cultural Landscapes
American Vernacular Architecture
Student Reviews
“Professor Stiles is a great professor that makes the learning environment overall a positive and friendly atmosphere that makes students feel comfortable and engaged. She is very knowledgeable and often keeps students engaged in discussions and offers extra help to those who may need it.”
“[I liked best about the delivery of course material] How enthusiastic Elaine was and how I thought more in depth about topics that I have never thought about before. She is truly a pleasure and her classes are enjoyable.
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“…the professor’s passion/love for the subject is clearly expressed every day in class which helps inspire students to work hard and stay engaged. ”
“I enjoyed that we were given frequent exercises so that we could engage with case studies that applied the concepts that we were learning each week. This allowed us to realize the complexity of real-life issues and use our own thought processes based on established criteria.”
“This was by far the best college course I have ever taken… The discussions during class time really pushed the mindset I had about preservation.”
“Elaine is a very intelligent professor. She balances examples, assignments, humor and challenges very well. I would definitely recommend a class from her. Although I might not always agree with her, she encourages alternative opinions. This was a true graduate class. I learned a lot.”