About
I teach the writing seminar during the Summer Bridge Scholars Program and have also taught CSP sections of Writing & Academic Inquiry designed around the theme “Writing as Protest.” Previously, I taught literature, composition, and humanities courses in the English and Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies programs at Wayne State University. My teaching is shaped by my own experiences first as a working, first-generation college student and then as a teacher-scholar researching the ways in which literature has historically been a site of resistance to dominant narratives about militarism, race, gender, and sexuality. Some of this research is published as my doctoral dissertation, Antiwar Literature in the United States since 1945, and I have presented on related topics at academic conferences in the US and Germany and as a guest lecturer for a course on American Refugee Narratives.
I promote a classroom environment that encourages expression of various viewpoints; productive and respectful conversation; and the ability to learn, grow, and change by making mistakes. “Nobody learns without getting it wrong,” as Shakira sagely sings in “Try Everything” from Zootopia. One of my favorite parts of each semester is planning the reading lists for my classes with a diverse range of creators, historical moments, and genres—including visual art, archival texts, poetry, short stories, music, and films (although not Zootopia).
Outside of the classroom, parenting two tiny humans keeps me busy, and when I can I enjoy practicing yoga and taking walks with my dog, Ziggy.
Awards/Certifications/Honors:
- Wayne State English Department Diversity and Social Justice Scholarship, 2020-2021 academic year
