Dissertation: Student Perspectives of a 21st Century Approach to Introductory Studio Art Curriculum at Western New England University: An Action Research Study

(Site-specific action research focusing on competency-based curriculum design, technology-mediated instruction and transferable skills-building, 2017)

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Internship and Practicum: Rebuilding Curriculum Approval Frameworks at the Hartford Art School, University of Hartford

Since 2010, I have worked with several institutions running individual workshops as well as serving as a Faculty Development Committee Lead, acting as a mentor for both new and seasoned faculty members to integrate best practices and innovative, student-centered instruction within their classrooms. I specialize in LMS functionality to support both online and on-ground curricula, consideration of non-traditional assessment methods, integration of visuals and video content, and I always encourage context-driven approaches to teaching and learning.

I have been teaching online since 2008, and highlighted technology integration and LMS functionality in my doctoral research. In early 2025, I completed a five-course certificate program in online learning and instructional design at Duke University to remain attuned to current instructional design models and emerging technologies. My background in visual arts offers a visual, graphics-forward approach, and the online studio curriculum has uniquely trained me to push beyond typical formats, specifically addressing visual instruction and feedback loops, video integration, non-traditional assessment, and open-ended prompts.

In 2024, I completed a six-week certificate program specific to higher education called Building Resilience through Trauma-Informed Practices at Columbia College. This certificate demonstrates my ongoing commitment to equity and inclusion within higher education, and also supports my teaching philosophy of addressing each student as a whole individual with unique strengths and needs. The program addressed student-facing work, but also trauma-informed academic leadership and administration.

I use thoughtful strategic planning and an ecosystem leadership model to always consider individual strengths and roles in alignment with institutional goals to carefully craft and execute the larger vision of a program. I am an enthusiastic team player who values the contributions of all members and I work best in a dynamic group with shared ideas and sights collectively set on constant growth and innovation. Let’s work together.

Notable projects and roles include program development and revision proposals, serving on a committee to rewrite departmental rubric structures, presentation of site-specific action research, acting as departmental coordinator for adjunct faculty, and researching and revising adjunct onboarding procedures.

I have been teaching visual arts in higher ed since 2008.

I see the learning environment as a place where learners take an active role in their education as well as a place where social change is cultivated. Using philosophical underpinnings of Dewey, Freire and bell hooks and a trauma-informed approach, I never stop evolving as an educator. The tenets of my teaching philosophy are self-awareness & curiosity, clarity & intentionality, and teaching the whole student.

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I actively participate in discipline-specific conferences, both as presenter and panel chair. Topics have included: learning from failure, blended curriculum design, restructuring curriculum for specific audiences, and intentional instruction of creativity and critical thinking. I highly value collaborating with professional peers to keep learning “what works” in applied settings, and believe that higher education is simply better when we share openly with each other.