Title: Senior Doctoral Adjunct Faculty Manager, Team 3
College: Doctoral Studies
Years at GCU: Nearly six (came to GCU late in 2014)
Academic degrees:
- B.A. – Psychology; English minor (Rutgers College, New Brunswick, N.J.)
- Ed.M. – Counseling Education (Temple University. Philadelphia)
- Ed.D. – Educational Leadership & Change (Fielding Graduate University. Santa Barbara, Calif.)
- Post-doctoral certificate – Online Teaching and Learning (Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, Calif.)
What is your most notable accomplishment in your field, and why was it important?
I see my most notable accomplishment as something I still do. Researchers rely on empirical evidence to support what they put into their articles and presentations. My focus in my undergraduate minor was creative writing; I still write fiction, and I weave non-academic narratives into nearly every academic work I do, which is a skill I honed during my own doctoral journey. Doing so makes my work accessible to researchers and non-researchers alike.
What motivations guide what you do?
As a scholar-practitioner, I am consistently motivated through my faith walk; without Christ, I wouldn’t be here, and I acknowledge God’s hand in all that I am and do. I am motivated by my desire to advance the existing scholarship related to communities of culture, both through my own scholarly pursuits and by supporting our novice researchers in the college whose research relates to the broader human diaspora.
What other endeavors outside GCU support what you do?
I am active in various spaces, including my own doctoral alma mater. As I mentioned, I write fiction and my characters are diverse. Their experiences are motivators for me as an scholar because I have to do research for that work as well or my stories and other projects are not real-to-life.
In addition to writing, I enjoy gaming, which allows me to engage in scholarly dialogue in different ways; even in those environments, we talk about current events and experiences, which helps me understand many of the topics our students bring forward through a new lens.
I also am involved in professional organizations, such as the National Organization for Multicultural Education and do peer review for academic journals such as the Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, Informing Science Institute and others.
What could you do (or are you doing) to advance or grow the College of Doctoral Studies?
As a team lead, I aim to provide support for my faculty colleagues as well as the learners with whom they are working. I am part of the doctoral residency faculty team and value the opportunity to work with learners who are early in their research process. I look to encourage learners and colleagues to advance conversations and research regarding diversity, equity and inclusion; as a college and a university, we are exploring ways to support learner research at a time when it is needed. Because of my own interests, I work with a great team of faculty who also look to support similar advancement for our learners.
