Senior Instructor, Special Purpose
Writing, Lang and Lit, School of
Hemphill Hall #4101
PO Box 6935
Hi! I enjoy teaching at Radford University and working with first-year students, English majors, graduate assistants and my colleagues in the School of Writing, Language and Literature (SWLL). A former recipient of both the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences (CHBS) Distinguished Teaching Award and the Award for Faculty Excellence in Honors, I'm proud of Radford's student-centered focus and dedication to quality in education; in fact, I worked with other faculty and residence hall staff to pilot the first living-learning programs (LLPs) here at Radford. I enjoy helping students discover ways to feel connected to all areas of university life.
Principles of College Composition (ENGL 111): With a theme of "Find Your Place," this class asks students to focus on where they're from, where they are and where they're going. Students write personal essays and produce some creative writing about past experiences and places they've lived. They learn about where they are now with researching information on the Appalachian Mountains, Radford City and Radford University. They think about where they're going by researching and writing about a college major that they're interested in.
Critical Reading and Writing in the Digital Age (ENGL 112): With a focus on career information and readiness, students in this class thoroughly research a career that they're interested in, as well as potential issues with that career. They take personality inventories that relate to careers and discover what they value most in a future career. The extensive research in this class results in a presentation to students, an ePortfolio website and a traditional research paper.
British and Commonwealth Literature II (ENGL 231): This survey course focuses specifically on British literary history from the end of the 18th century to the present. Reading a wide variety of genres that include poetry, short fiction, plays and a novel, students explore these questions: How can history and current events shape literature, and how does literature reflect history and current events?
First-Year Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) Mentor: As part of the Graduate Teaching Program in the Department of English, I mentor two graduate teaching assistants through their first year as student teachers in the ENGL 111 and ENGL 112 courses. This is a part of my job that I find especially rewarding, as we specialize in teaching freshman students!
Intercollegiate Athletics Committee Member: In this role, I work with student athletes and athletic professionals to help ensure academic adherence to NCAA rules for universities and for student athletes. If you attend any Highlanders basketball home games, there's a good chance you'll see me there!
McConnell Library Committee Member: In this committee role, I support and enhance services at the McConnell Library on Radford University's main campus by assisting with hiring staff. I do research with reference librarians and have presented at conferences on topics that involve the intersection of information literacy and research writing.
I love our river city in the Appalachian Mountains and take full advantage of the hiking, camping, cycling and kayaking opportunities that we are so fortunate to have here. I also enjoy traveling, especially to places that enhance my teaching of British literature, and wherever I go, I visit the graves of famous writers. One of my favorites is the tomb of British writer, Oscar Wilde, in Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris!