Previous to my current faculty appointments, I have served as an adjunct instructor in University College at IUPUI and in General Studies at Ivy Tech Community College. I have over a decade of experience as an educator and expertise in the development of curriculum and co-curriculum. I have led instructional teams and served on both curriculum and accreditation committees. I am a scholar-practitioner of the emergent field of life design. My pedagogy is critically-informed, practiced integratively and through an integral lens. My research as an Americanist is focused on uncovering an applied intellectual tradition of integral, integrative, and intentional thought of which design thinking, lifestyle design, and life design are a part of, among others.

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I apply an intentional design paradigm to creating classes that encourage the unique identities of my students, co-creating a shared learning community to empower them in their learning and the creation of their own lives. I have worked extensively with under-resourced students and have been able to achieve great successes with my students across many contexts.

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I have consulted as an expert with community organizations and government agencies, and I have been invited and funded by national organizations to speak and share my expertise around the country. I have developed multiple college success programs, all of which have proved successful pilots and have continued at their respective institutions, representing emergent best-practices that other institutions have learned from and applied based on my work and scholarship.

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My career is built on years of integrating research and theory, applying it to my work, and learning from my practice - yet, just as a learning community is essential to students, it is essential to my praxis. I have always volunteered to serve and have sought collaboration, both within the institution and the community. I have served in roles such as the Transfer Advocate at Ivy Tech and as the McKinney-Vento Point of Contact for IUPUI - a first-of-its kind role in higher education. I have built community partnerships and have worked successfully with benefactors to fund initiatives. I dedicate a great amount of time to service, serving on a number of committees every semester and in advisory capacities to community organizations each year. I volunteer my time to directly support youth initiatives in Indiana, as well. In addition to my experience as faculty and as an administrator, I am an experienced academic advisor and certified success coach. I have counseled college students for most of my career, focused on supporting student success life-wide, not just academically. Just as in my teaching, this work is grounded in co-creation and empowerment for students from a diversity of backgrounds.