When did you start at UMD?
I started at UMD in August as an assistant professor in the Department of Education. I teach in the Integrated Elementary and Special Education (IESE) program, where I teach elementary literacy and social studies methods coursework to preservice teacher candidates.
What do you like most about your job?
My favorite part of my job is working with students as they interact with new ideas and question things they have come to "know" about themselves and the world and engaging students in thinking critically about literacies, civic engagement, equity, and social justice in teaching and learning. My research centers around these concepts, as well.
Why did you choose to work at UMD?
As a recent graduate from a Ph.D. program in language, literacy, and culture at the University of Iowa, I chose UMD because I recognized opportunities to engage in critical and culturally-sustaining teaching, research, and service.
What advice do you have for students?
As I think about my work with students and what advice I would share, I encourage students to question. Oftentimes we think of learning as something that is settled or stagnant. It can be perceived as knowing this and knowing that, but knowledge isn't settled, it is partial, it is a living thing that grows with evolving questions through new interactions among people and communities. So, my advice is to ask the questions, to wonder, to listen, to read, to discover, and to take action based on those discoveries.
What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time, I love theatre (especially musical theatre!) and traveling. These are probably two of the things I miss most during this pandemic. I cannot wait to enjoy live theatre again and my passport has sat idle for far too long.