About Me

Let’s connect!

I hold a PhD in English Education from Illinois State University, a master’s in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Mississippi, and a certificate in Instructional Design from the University of Illinois. I am also an IDOL alum (woot woot!).

I’m passionate about pop culture, folk/bluegrass music, 90s feminist rock, early 00s hip-hop, financial literacy, reading, adolescent literacy, equity in education, DEI, neurodiversity, disability studies, gardening, new technologies, gaming, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe – in no particular order.

I love creating learning experiences that help learners to apply their new skills in their own lives and work environments. In my work as an instructional designer/project manager at a statewide technical college, our team is doing some really cool things, including moving 700+ courses to an online/hybrid PBE model. I also do some contract work, and I’d love to chat with you about how I might be able to help you with your projects.

Seven Semi-Random Facts about Me:

1. I used to take students to Jamaica every winter for a month of international immersion. We were happy to trade a -60° windchill for sunny skies and time with Jamaican friends.
2. Live music gives me life. When I was growing up, I spent a lot of time listening to my dad’s folk/bluegrass band rehearse in our basement from my perch on the stairs. As an adult, I surround myself with music today — 90s hip-hop, alternative, and acoustic folk artists get heavy rotation on my playlists.
3. I read a lot – usually at least 20 books every month. And I organize my books in a rainbow. I’m that person.
4. The first national conference that I presented at was the Popular Culture Association, where I talked about the intersections of hip-hop, race, and education. Pieces of that talk made it into my dissertation and have influenced a solid chunk of my academic writing, as well.
5. All of my animals have been named after literary/musical references. Marley (the grey kitty in the shark costume above) is named after Bob Marley and Marley’s ghost in A Christmas Carol because he was a Christmas baby. Roxy (white paws, just hanging out on my laptop) is named after Roxane Gay and The Police’s “Roxanne,” and she is my very small, part-Maine Coon kib with a very big personality.
6. I lived by a little lake outside of town for a few years in Wisconsin, and I’ve been chasing that dream of lakehouse living ever since. Someday I’m going to live on the water again. It’s going to happen.
7. One of my favorite crafty things to do is snarky cross-stitch. Full stop.

For more information about my professional background, check out my resume.