Focus of 60-credit coursework: Pedagogy/adult learning, research methods, academic leadership (strategic planning, SWOT analysis, financial planning, legal and accreditation policies)

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

As part of my doctoral practicum at the University of Hartford, I led a curriculum process redesign initiative for the Hartford Art School. I collaborated with cross-divisional stakeholders across the university to gather data, identify pain points, and align policy requirements. The result was a streamlined approval workflow represented in a clear, user-friendly flowchart, accompanied by a revised and comprehensive policies and procedures document that enhanced clarity and efficiency for faculty and administrators.

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 creation of program development and revision proposals, committee service to rewrite rubric structures, presentation of site-specific action research, acting as departmental coordinator for adjunct faculty, and researching, revising and running adjunct onboarding procedures.

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.

I have been teaching visual arts in higher ed with expertise in online instruction 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.