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What’s something colleagues might be surprised to learn about you?

I’m a Washingtonian, born and raised in Washington, D.C., which, of course, is not a state, and my curiosity about the world extends far beyond my professional work. I’ve had the opportunity to travel to five continents, experiences that have deepened my global perspective and informed my approach to education, leadership, and community engagement. With two more continents still on my bucket list, I remain committed to learning from diverse cultures and bringing those insights back into my professional work.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Joyful activities like walking, hobbies such as reading, volunteering, and mentoring young people.

What opportunities do you see ahead for the School of Education?

There is an opportunity to expand innovative teacher pathways that are responsive to regional workforce demands, particularly through grow-your-own models, partnerships with rural and Tribal communities, and accessible licensure routes that meet students where they are.

Strengthen its role as a hub for community-engaged and applied learning, leveraging its strong partnerships and place-based context to ensure that educator preparation is grounded in real-world practice and reciprocal relationships with schools and communities.

Another key opportunity is to innovate around holistic student support and belonging. As a student-ready institution serving diverse and first-generation learners, the School of Education can model systems of care that support candidates from recruitment through licensure and into the profession.

Advance ethical and inclusive innovation through AI-ready educator preparation, ensuring that future educators are equipped with the digital fluency, adaptability, and transferable skills needed for today’s and tomorrow’s classrooms.

With projected growth in outdoor and experiential education through 2033, Adventure Education represents a distinctive area for expansion, particularly in developing certificates, interdisciplinary programs, and leadership pathways that further integrate experiential learning.

What strengths do you see in the faculty and programs here?

1. The School offers multiple pathways into teaching, from undergraduate licensure programs to post-baccalaureate and graduate options, creating accessible entry points into the profession for a wide range of students. This kind of layered pathway structure is essential for addressing teacher shortages and supporting nontraditional and place-bound students.

2. The integration of Adventure Education is a truly differentiating asset. Few institutions nationally offer a program where students are simultaneously developing as educators, leaders, and facilitators through immersive, outdoor, and experiential learning environments. The program’s emphasis on field-based instruction, risk management, internships, and real-world problem-solving, often in partnership with community organizations, creates a powerful model for applied learning. This positions Fort Lewis as a leader in reimagining what teaching and learning can look like beyond traditional classrooms.

3. The faculty bring a strong blend of academic expertise and applied, field-based experience. Across both Teacher Education and Adventure Education, there is a mix of professors, lecturers, and practitioners who are actively engaged in teaching, mentoring, and professional preparation.

4. There is a clear emphasis on experiential, hands-on learning embedded across programs. Whether through field studies, internships, immersive semesters, or community partnerships, students are not only learning theory but applying it in meaningful contexts—an approach that aligns strongly with current best practices in educator preparation and student success.

5. The School’s location and context. Situated in the Southwest with access to diverse communities and outdoor environments, the programs naturally support place-based, culturally responsive, and community- engaged learning, key elements for preparing educators who can serve rural, Indigenous, and diverse populations effectively.

What’s one book, podcast, or idea that’s influenced your thinking recently?

Teacher by Teacher: The People Who Change Our Lives (2025) by John B. King Jr. and The Caring University (2025) by Kevin McClure

Both books have deeply influenced and, in many ways, affirmed and sharpened my approach to leadership, educator preparation, and community-engaged scholarship. Together, these books have strengthened my commitment to leading with both purpose and compassion, ensuring that Education programs do not simply produce technically skilled practitioners, but transformative practitioners and leaders who are equipped to create inclusive, identity-affirming, and justice-oriented learning environments locally and globally.

Teacher by Teacher resonated with my lived experience as both a K–12 educator and now as a department chair responsible for preparing the next generation of teachers. Teacher by Teacher reinforced my belief that transformative education is grounded in relationships, high expectations, and a deep commitment to equity, principles that have guided my work in culturally responsive pedagogy, inclusive education, and partnerships with schools and communities. Throughout my career, from classroom teaching to leading educator preparation and licensure, I have seen firsthand how an educator can alter the trajectory of a student’s life, particularly when that work is grounded in justice and human dignity.

The Caring University pushed my thinking further at the systems level. As a leader responsible for program development, accreditation, faculty mentorship, and community partnerships, the book challenged me to think more intentionally about how care is operationalized, not just expressed, in institutional structures. It aligns with my work in building equity-focused programs, mentoring faculty, and designing community-engaged initiatives that center on belonging, access, and student success. It also reinforced the importance of aligning institutional practices with a human-centered ethic, particularly in serving diverse, first-generation, and historically underserved students.