Description / Biography

I have been an educator for over two decades and have worked with diverse groups of students in high school, college, and continuing education programs.

My professional experiences include teaching all levels of Spanish, administration, research, and student advising. As a results-oriented leader, I have chaired my department and major committees, served on the Provost Co-Management Team in 2018-19, and as Director of Student Retention (2019-2022).

As the current Director of Community Connections, I work to create for students “real-world,” out-of-classroom experiences that stress the importance of responsible, informed citizenship and career readiness. I also engage directly with community partners and author a monthly newsletter for them.

In addition to teaching all levels of Spanish, I have co-authored a textbook for advanced beginners of Spanish, and have published on mothers in Hispanic literature, mental health issues in women’s short stories, the occult in 19th-century narratives, 20th-century coming-of-age novels, and community-based projects. My most recent publication on trauma in the seminal Chicano novel And the Earth did not Devour Him, can be found in Bilingual Review/Revista Bilingüe.

Students and colleagues at Beloit College have recognized my commitment to excellent teaching by awarding me the 2019 James R. Underkofler Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award. I was also named the March 2020 Beloit Rotary Club Teacher of the Month. 

For my service to the college, I was awarded the Presidential Service Award in 2019.

Outside the college, I currently sit on the board of the Beloit Historical Society.