Biography

I lead a talented team of staff and postdoctoral scholars to support faculty and academic staff in creating quality, caring, and exemplary digital experiences at Michigan State University. We're builders, tinkerers, researchers, collaborators, fixers, and figurers. Mister Rogers told us to look for the helpers. We took that to heart, and work to be the helpers partnering with you to leverage academic technologies to build the best digital learning experiences for MSU students.

I hold a BA in Journalism, an MA in Education, and a Ph.D. in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education, all from Michigan State University. I have worked in digital spaces since 1998, spanning the private and academic sectors. I have led nationally- recognized networking, professional development, design and facilitation projects, and am deeply involved in my local community. Project management and strategic rhetoric make me giddy, and learning new things is my favorite. My scholarly interests include community-engaged experience research, strategic assessment practices, shifting literacies in the digital-social age, and how UX and service design methods have the potential to transform the student experience in higher education and beyond.

I live in Lansing, Michigan with my pretty amazing partner Ryan and two rescue dogs. I have spent more perfectly good hours playing Fallout 4 and Witcher 3 than I’m comfortable admitting in polite company. But, I admit it anyway because I believe in doing what you love and loving what you do. Video games aside, I love dogs, thinking, reading, dogs, volunteering, gardening, dogs, uke-ing and travel. I also love dogs.