Assistant Professor, Director, English Internship Program This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
University Hall 5045
(205) 934-8583

Research and Teaching Interests: American literature, modernism, service learning / engaged scholarship, education abroad, Birmingham literature, New Orleans literature

Office Hours: By appointment

Education:

• B.A., Whittier College
• M.A., Tulane University
• Ph.D., Tulane University

We learn best when we care about what we’re learning, so I look for ways to illustrate the relevance, both practical and personal, of reading and writing. In my composition courses, students learn about multimodal composition and produce research projects that have included websites, short films, and social media campaigns. My literature courses rely heavily on class discussions, and students work collaboratively on team projects. Sometimes, I incorporate service learning or course-related field trips and travel in my course designs.

Way back when I was a college student in Southern California, one of my professors had us write about what we did and what we observed when we explored the area. Those assignments inspired some of my own courses over the years. For example, I encourage my composition students to research an issue connected to the Greater Birmingham area, and I’ve developed literature courses centered on New Orleans and, most recently, Birmingham itself.

When I’m not teaching, I love reading novels, watching movies, traveling, and hanging out with my husband and our dogs (who always have literary names).