I have many interests and thus wear a lot of “hats.” I am a Senior Instructor, Director of the COMM BA and MA Online Degree Program, and Director of Assessment for the Communication Department at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS). I also mentor instructors for our campus Teaching Online Certification Program, am the Director of Interdisciplinary Studies for the College of Letters, Arts & Sciences (CLAS), and served as the inaugural Faculty Program Chair for the statewide 2022 Colorado Learning and Teaching with Technology (COLTT) conference. I enjoy the variety of “hats” I wear because they provide many opportunities to meet and work with an incredibly diverse group. I’m always learning something new!

I’m a curious person, and the courses I took at CU Denver as part of my Ph.D. helped focus that curiosity on improving student learning. Good teachers always try to improve their craft – revising content, updating an exam or assignment, trying a new activity, and more. I was doing most of those things, but I wonder whether they made any difference. I hoped they did, but I wanted ‘evidence” that my efforts were impactful. To do that, I needed more knowledge and guidance regarding how to evaluate and measure those changes. My time at CU Denver provided that guidance and oh so much more. I also found a supportive and encouraging community of faculty and peers. I am a “first-generation” individual and remember the anxiety and unease that can accompany a new environment. Even as a Ph.D. student, I sometimes felt I didn’t belong, but all my instructors were committed to my success. Almost two years later, I still collaborate with several SEHD faculty central to my Ph.D. work.

My time at CU Denver was critical to all my responsibilities at UCCS and a pivotal step in meeting my personal and professional goals.