B.A., Dickinson College; M.A., University of Sussex (Brighton, England); Ph.D., University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign)
Lecturer in the Writing Program
Interested in modern and contemporary American literature, the cultural study of science and technology, gender and women's writing, academic and professional writing, and film criticism and theory.
My research focuses on modern and contemporary American literature, science and technology studies, and gender and race studies. My current project explores the interplay of two seemingly oppositional fields: literature and mathematics. I ask why so many early twentieth-century writers find in mathematics a rich language for representing not only their contemporary moment, but also their internal selves, their psyches, bodies, and desires. I’m interested in how scientific language and thought play an integral role in cultural formations of identity and difference.
Just as my research focuses on subjects that cut across disciplinary boundaries, my teaching strives to develop in students a set of skills that translate to any field of inquiry, including especially the ability to analyze, contextualize, and draw implications from a particular written or visual text, to approach an issue from multiple perspectives, and to develop supported arguments both orally and through writing. Ideally, I want my students to approach writing as a thinking tool--a way to discover, expand, and challenge their own thinking about a subject or idea. I’m passionate about helping students cultivate the analytical and argumentative skills that are not only crucial to their success as students but also as future professionals and engaged citizens.
In my spare time, I love to cook (and eat!) and travel (to eat!). I’m very into television drama series (The Wire, Dexter, True Blood) and “bad” detective fiction. I also enjoy running, climbing, yoga-ing, knitting, and jewelry-making.