Teaching and Learning

I strive to create an inclusive, participatory, intellectually-engaged learning environment in the classroom—a dynamic space of mutual interaction and reflection where I work alongside my students to foster knowledge about the analysis of literary texts. As a strong advocate of student-based research, I embrace community-based experiential learning where students serve in key roles as co-leaders and co-researchers to explore the relationship between social issues and civic engagement. I received numerous teaching awards for my work in the classroom, including the UNC Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching–the highest post-secondary award in the state.

I accept invitations to lead workshops on innovative teaching strategies on a range of topics such as service-learning, online teaching, oral history and archival research, and digital humanities. Below are a few examples of recent talks:

• “Re-energizing the Online Classroom.” University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Sociology Department, 2023.
• “Maps, Media, and Text: Using ArcGIS StoryMaps in the Humanities Classroom.” Loyola University New Orleans, 2022. 
• Andrew W. Mellon Foundation REACH Summer Exploration Program, “Resisting Nostalgia: Revelations of the Family Archive.” University of North Carolina at Pembroke, 2021.
• “Going Public: Integrating Public Humanities into the Undergraduate Curriculum.” Stony Brook University, 2017.
• “Class Beyond the Classroom: Service-Learning and First-Generation College Students” and “Teaching Honors Service-Learning Seminars.” Bridgewater State University, 2017.