1. Department

   English

2. Hometown

   Moscow, ID; Fargo, ND; Buffalo, NY

3. Biography

   B.A. Music, Minnesota State University Moorhead; M.A. English literature, University of Rochester; M.A., Ph.D. English literature, University at Buffalo.

   My scholarly interests include eighteenth-century British literature and culture, aesthetics, critical theory, gender studies, film, and South Asian literature.

Questions and answers

Why did you choose to teach at BW?

I chose BW because it's a school that really values teaching (not every university or college does). I also love it's proximity to Cleveland, a city with great music, world-class museums, and eclectic neighborhoods.

What characteristics distinguish BW from other colleges/universities?

At big schools, you're just a number--in a classroom or in your advisor's list of advisees. At BW, we care about our students as individuals. With smaller class sizes and more individual attention, I really get to know my students, so that I can give them the personalized attention that they need. I also get to watch them grow in the course of their four years at the college. A professor at a big school can't necessarily say that.

How do you mentor students?

As an advisor, I help my advisees chart their success in college--and their careers after college. I regularly mentor students considering graduate school. I have also advised students doing undergraduate research in BW's Summer Scholars Program.

What do students like best about your class?

I think that my students like the sense of community that I foster in my classes. I'm also very approachable--in and out of the classroom. My classes are academically rigorous--but also fun.

If you weren't teaching what would you be doing?

Teaching is my vocation! There's nothing else that I would rather do!