I grew up in a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio. My parents both hold Masters degrees, so education has always been very important to our family. My mother is a teacher by training but switched to full-time childcare after the untimely passing of my father from cancer and enjoys every second with the littles in her life. I have a younger brother who holds an MBA. Our family has always been very close.
My parents met at a small liberal arts school in Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State University. I vowed I would not attend the same school just because my parents went there, but I found myself right at home as an Eagle. I completed my B.S. in 3 1/2 years with a double major in Psychology and Spanish as well as graduating from the Honors Program. I look back on my college years fondly, as they were pivotal in shaping my ultimate career path.
I knew I wanted to study psychology from the moment I stepped foot into my Introduction to Psychology class. There was just something about the way the mind worked that intrigued me, and it seemed that there were endless topics to study. I was fortunate to earn a research fellowship position working closely with my advisor and mentor on a long-term project examining betrayal consequences.
To this day, I'll never know quite what it was, but I was drawn to the West to pursue my PhD at the University of Oklahoma. I packed up what little I could fit into my tiny 2-door car and drove myself to my new home in Norman, OK. I met an incredible man (who was soon to become my husband) the day I arrived in Oklahoma. It was comforting to have a new family given that I was so far from home. In graduate school, I was introduced to the culture of honor, and I have pursued its study in earnest. I also discovered my passion for teaching from my very first class I taught at OU. I had only 14 students, and they taught me so much about how to effectively communicate with students. They were supportive and encouraging and sensed my natural affinity for the classroom.
Today you'll find me teaching a variety of courses including Introduction to Psychology, Understanding Statistics, Developmental Psychology, Social Psychology, Cognition and Brain Science, Ethics and Philosophy of Science, Health Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and a special topics course I designed and developed on Intimate Partner Violence at Valley City State University. My students are receptive to my innovative teaching strategies and thoroughly enjoy the frequent discussions we hold. I've been told that my teaching resembles a conversation more than a traditional lecture, and I take that as a compliment. I firmly believe that students learn most effectively when they can create their own interactive learning environment, complete with personal examples of new concepts. As my career in academia unfolds, I enjoy the opportunity to teach, serve, and advise students as they discover their own passion, whether that be in psychology or some other field. I firmly believe that there is an ideal career for each of us, and I encourage people in and outside the classroom to find what they're passionate about, enjoy doing, and what comes naturally, and to make that their life mission because when we love what we do, it truly shines through.
My parents met at a small liberal arts school in Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State University. I vowed I would not attend the same school just because my parents went there, but I found myself right at home as an Eagle. I completed my B.S. in 3 1/2 years with a double major in Psychology and Spanish as well as graduating from the Honors Program. I look back on my college years fondly, as they were pivotal in shaping my ultimate career path.
I knew I wanted to study psychology from the moment I stepped foot into my Introduction to Psychology class. There was just something about the way the mind worked that intrigued me, and it seemed that there were endless topics to study. I was fortunate to earn a research fellowship position working closely with my advisor and mentor on a long-term project examining betrayal consequences.
To this day, I'll never know quite what it was, but I was drawn to the West to pursue my PhD at the University of Oklahoma. I packed up what little I could fit into my tiny 2-door car and drove myself to my new home in Norman, OK. I met an incredible man (who was soon to become my husband) the day I arrived in Oklahoma. It was comforting to have a new family given that I was so far from home. In graduate school, I was introduced to the culture of honor, and I have pursued its study in earnest. I also discovered my passion for teaching from my very first class I taught at OU. I had only 14 students, and they taught me so much about how to effectively communicate with students. They were supportive and encouraging and sensed my natural affinity for the classroom.
Today you'll find me teaching a variety of courses including Introduction to Psychology, Understanding Statistics, Developmental Psychology, Social Psychology, Cognition and Brain Science, Ethics and Philosophy of Science, Health Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and a special topics course I designed and developed on Intimate Partner Violence at Valley City State University. My students are receptive to my innovative teaching strategies and thoroughly enjoy the frequent discussions we hold. I've been told that my teaching resembles a conversation more than a traditional lecture, and I take that as a compliment. I firmly believe that students learn most effectively when they can create their own interactive learning environment, complete with personal examples of new concepts. As my career in academia unfolds, I enjoy the opportunity to teach, serve, and advise students as they discover their own passion, whether that be in psychology or some other field. I firmly believe that there is an ideal career for each of us, and I encourage people in and outside the classroom to find what they're passionate about, enjoy doing, and what comes naturally, and to make that their life mission because when we love what we do, it truly shines through.