Teaching Experience

My teaching philosophy is whoever does the thinking does the learning, so I’m far more likely to ask you questions and make you think something through than provide you a pat answer. Learning happens best in safe places where people build relationships with each other, so I strive for that atmosphere in my classrooms and office. I also believe everyone is a writer, everyone has something to say, and everyone can learn to say it better–including me!

Research

To borrow Van Vogt’s word, I would describe myself as a nexialist–someone who likes to know a little bit about everything. My research interests vary from how adolescent development was depicted in eighteenth century literature before adolescent psychology was a field to how the character of the Grim Reaper has evolved in folk tales and modern fiction.

Selected Publications

• “I am Pamela, her own self!”: Psychosocial and Moral Development in Samuel Richardson’s Pamela, 1650-1950: Ideas, Aesthetics, and Inquiries in the Early Modern Era, publication pending

Service

Service for me splits into three areas: providing good contributions to research, guaranteeing high quality education to all students, and representing BYU well in all my endeavors.

Citizenship assignments

To be announced