The Topomax reign of terror has ended and, thus, so has my depression. I knew I was feeling better when the person at the store asked how I was doing, and I said, "Good" and...
Nov 12, 2019 6 4 min read
As previously mentioned, I went to see a headache specialist who prescribed Topomax for my headaches. The Topomax turned out to be no good for me. At all. In fact, the Topomax...
Oct 22, 2019 6 4 min read
Award winning fiction writer, blogger, and professor with 20+ years of experience
EDUCATION
ABD, Doctor of Philosophy in English, Children’s Literature
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Master of Arts in English, Creative Writing
Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Bachelor of Arts in English
University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD
CERTIFICATION
Online Teaching & Design, Online Education Standards & Practice, April 2019
Completed 120 hours of professional development focused on designing an online course in Canvas
Juried Fellowship Application and Residency Award
Writer in Residence, Joshua Tree Highlands Artist Residency, 2023
SELECTED HONORS & AWARDS
Nominee, Risser Award for Teacher of the Year, 2023
Winner, Above and Beyond Award for Outstanding Service to Faculty and Staff, 2021
Nominee, Above and Beyond Award for Community Involvement & Lancer Pride, 2020
Winner, University Writing Program Teaching Award, University of Florida, 2007
Winner, Dark Horse Award for Creative Writing, Iowa State University, 2005
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Assistant Professor, Pasadena City College, English Division, August 2017 – Present
Create, organize, and deliver effective syllabi and lesson plans that promote student success in the community college setting for face-to-face, online, and hybrid classes
Coordinate, host, and interview 10+ visiting writers from a variety of genres via Zoom as co-chair of Visiting Writers Committee
Courses: ENGL 1A (Reading and Composition), ENGL 1B (Reading and Composition [Literature]), ENGL 1C (Intermediate Composition: Critical Thinking and Argument), ENGL 400 (English Essentials), ENGL 5A (Creative Writing), ENGL 6 (Short Story Writing), ENGL 25G (Mystery and Crime Fiction), ENGL 59 (Children’s Literature)
Assistant Professor/Adjunct Professor, Santa Fe College, Department of English, August 2011 – August 2017
Created, organized, and delivered effective syllabi and lesson plans that promote student success in the community college setting for face-to-face, online, and hybrid classes
Acted as faculty leader for the college’s Navigating to College initiative (2015-2016) that sought to increase engagement with area high schools. Duties included making site visits, coordinating reading groups, building relationships with administrative staff and guidance teams as well as recruiting faculty for and coordinating the pilot College for a Day program at Eastside High School in conjunction with the Admissions Department
Courses: ENC 1101 (College Composition), ENC 1101H (Honors College Composition), ENC 1101L (College Composition Lab), ENC 1102 (Writing about Literature/College Composition II), CRW 2100 (Creative Writing: Fiction), LIT 1000 (Introduction to Literature)
Writing Tutor, Santa Fe College, Writing Lab, August 2012 – May 2013
Conducted half-hour paper conferences with community college and dual enrolled high school students from all majors and writing levels to develop and review skills related to the writing process (brainstorming, outlining, paragraph and essay structure, research, in-text citations, and bibliographies) for class essays, application essays, resumes, cover letters, and reports
Adjunct Professor, University of Florida, Warrington College of Business Administration, May 2011 – May 2013
Created and delivered effective lesson plans with an emphasis on fundamental written communication skills central to professional writing in business
Created and delivered effective lesson plans in an online course using Sakai, Elluminate, and Adobe Connect with an emphasis on presentation skills, verbal and non-verbal communication, business writing, and persuasive argumentation
Courses: GEB 3213 (Professional Writing in Business), GEB 3219 (Writing and Speaking in Business)
Adjunct Professor, University of Florida, Office of Academic Support, AIM Program, June 2011 – August 2011
Created and delivered effective lesson plans with an emphasis on critical thinking, reading, and writing to incoming first generation and minority first-year students to ensure their successful retention at the university
Course: ENG 1001 (Modes of Inquiry)
Adjunct Professor, University of Florida, University Writing Program, May 2011 – August 2011
Created and delivered effective lesson plans in an online course using Sakai and Elluminate with an emphasis on collaborative writing skills, communication strategies, and the composition and design of complex documents
Course: ENC 3254 (Professional Communication)
Mentor, University of Florida, University Writing Program, August 2009 – May 2010
Served as lead instructor in a team-taught class with three new teaching assistants, focusing on pedagogical and professional development
Observed and evaluated new teaching assistants so that they may be successful at teaching writing skills to first-year composition students
Courses: ENC 1101 (Writing Academic Arguments), ENC 1102 (Rhetoric and Academic Research)
Teaching Assistant, University of Florida, Department of English, University Writing Program, and Office of Academic Support, August 2006 – August 2010
Created and delivered effective syllabi and lesson plans for college composition and literature courses with an emphasis on critical thinking, critical reading, and persuasive writing and presentation skills based on university and departmental curricula
Courses: AML 2070 (Survey of American Literature), ENC 1101 (Writing Academic Arguments), ENC 1102 (Rhetoric and Academic Research), ENG 1001 (Modes of Inquiry)
Teaching Assistant, Iowa State University, Department of English, August 2004-May 2006
Created and delivered effective syllabi and lesson plans for college composition courses that fully integrated written, oral, visual, and electronic communication in both traditional and computer-integrated classrooms based on university and departmental curricula
Courses: English 104 (First-Year Composition I), English 105 (First-Year Composition II)
SELECTED PRESENTATIONS & PUBLICATIONS
Owner and Editor, The Englishist (blog), August 2009 – present
“Black Girls Rock! Non-Fiction Celebrating Black Women with Mocha Girls Read,” Frolic, February 26, 2019
Presentation: “Multimodal Teaching Strategies for Composition, Literature, and Creative Writing,” Hawaii International Conference on Arts & Humanities, Honolulu, HI, January 11, 2019
Presentation: “Blogging in the First-Year Composition Classroom,” University Writing Program Conference: Pedagogy, Practice and Philosophy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, January 31, 2015
“First Opinion: Women of Distinction.” First Opinions, Second Reactions, Volume 2, Issue 2 (2009)
Paper: “‘It Wasn’t a Matter of Race’: Monster and the Trope of the Talking Book,” Children’s Literature Association Conference, Charlotte, North Carolina, June 11-14, 2009
Panel: “Lit Hits: What’s New in Young Adult Literature,” Iowa Council of Teachers of English Annual Conference, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, October 7, 2005