My interests and passions revolve around education and writing. In particular, this includes the teaching of writing, the role of technology in education/training and writing, genre studies (particularly horror/dark fantasy), film studies, comics/sequential art, video games and narrative, media/journalism studies, and digital culture.
Education and Certification
M.A. in English; George Mason University (2006)
- Focus: Teaching of Writing and Literature
- Thesis: “Lovecraft Rising: Tracing the Growth of Scholarship on Howard Phillips Lovecraft, 1990-2004”
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (2003)
- Focus: English Language Arts: Adolescence / Young Adulthood
B.A. in English; Mary Washington College (1998)
- Focus: Secondary English Education
B.A. in Religious Studies; Mary Washington College (1995)
- Focus: Native American Spirituality
- Thesis: “The Role of Symbol in the Onikare: Understanding the Purification Rite of the Plains Indians through a Discussion of Symbolism”
Employment
JBS International, Inc. (2007 – Present)
- Web Project Manager
- Senior Trainer
- Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator
Northern Virginia Writing Project (2002-2007)
- Technology Liaison
- Teacher Consultant
Northern Virginia Community College – Annandale (2007)
- Adjunct Professor
George Mason University (2006)
- Adjunct Professor
Prince William County Virtual High School (2002-2007)
- Online Course Designer and Instructor
Prince William County Public Schools (1998 – 2007)
- Assistant Coordinator, Center for the Fine and Performing Arts
- Secondary English Teacher, Woodbridge Senior High School
Chinlé Unified School District No. 24 (1995, 1996)
- Curriculum Development Intern
Presentations
English 695: Writing & Learning – Multiple Locations (Nov. 2007)
“Developing Fluency and Reflection Online”
Sherando High School Nonfiction Writing Inservice – Stephens City, Virginia (Nov. 2007)
“Research 2.0: Using Emerging Online Technologies to Facilitate Research”
NVWP Language & Learning Conference, George Mason University – Fairfax, Virginia (Mar. 2007)
“Technology for Teacher Consultants – An Advanced Institute for Writing & Technology”
NVWP, George Mason University – Fairfax, Virginia (Jan. 2007)
“Acting Your Way Into Scriptwriting”
Little Theater of Alexandria “ArtStar” Youth Program – Alexandria, Virginia (Jul. 2006)
“Forums, Blogs & Wikis: Online Tools to Improve Writing”
NVWP Language & Learning Conference, George Mason University – Fairfax, Virginia (Mar. 2006)
“An Introduction to Writing & Technology”
NVWP Summer Institute, Lord Fairfax Community College – Middletown, Virginia (Summers, 2005-2007); NVWP Summer Institute, George Mason University – Fairfax, Virginia (Summers, 2001-Present); NVWP Language & Learning Conference, George Mason University – Fairfax, Virginia (Mar. 2002; Mar. 2004); English 695: Writing & Learning – Multiple Locations (Fall & Spring Semesters, 2001-2006)
“Using Discussion Boards to Improve Student Writing”
NVWP Language & Learning Conference, George Mason University – Fairfax, Virginia (Mar. 2001); George Mason High School – Fairfax, Virginia (Jan. 2001)
Technical Skills
Web and multi-media software, technologies, and Web-based platforms, including Microsoft Office/OpenOffice, Photoshop, WordPress, Drupal, CSS, PHP, and MySQL
