Researcher. Educator. Institutional Learder.

My professional and scholarly interests center on understanding the conditions that enable individuals, groups, and organizations to learn, develop, and flourish.

Throughout my career, I have worked across student affairs, academic affairs, institutional research, assessment, teaching, and organizational leadership. These experiences have shaped how I understand higher education—not as a collection of independent functions, but as an interconnected system of people, relationships, structures, and practices that influence learning and institutional effectiveness.

I approach complex challenges by drawing on organizational learning, leadership, human development, and systems thinking to understand how people and organizations function, adapt, and improve. I am particularly interested in how institutions translate knowledge into practice, develop organizational capacity, and align their decisions and resources with their educational purposes.

My work has included national research and assessment initiatives, graduate and undergraduate teaching, curriculum and faculty development, institutional research, strategic planning, and administrative leadership. Across these contexts, I have sought to connect research, theory, and practice to strengthen individual and organizational capacity.

Personal and Educational Foundations

As a first-generation college student, a person with a disability, and a TRIO alumnus, I draw on personal experience, scholarly inquiry, and professional practice to inform my understanding of education.

I believe access and opportunity are compatible with high expectations and academic excellence. Learning and development are influenced not only by individual abilities and aspirations, but also by the environments, relationships, resources, and organizational conditions that support or constrain them.

These beliefs influence how I teach, conduct research, lead organizations, and work with others. They also reinforce my commitment to creating environments where individuals can recognize their capabilities, access meaningful opportunities, and contribute to their communities.

Education

Academic Degrees

Ph.D., Education (Higher Education Administration and Leadership)
Iowa State University
Cognate: Human Development and Psychology

M.A., Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education
Ball State University
Cognate: Wellness Management

B.S., Journalism (Multimedia Design and Development, formerly Journalism Graphics)
Ball State University

Graduate Certificates

  • Organizational Change Leadership — University of Wisconsin–Platteville

  • Leadership — Lakeland University

  • Applied Research Methods in the Human Sciences — Iowa State University

  • Postsecondary Disability Services — University of Connecticut

  • Institutional Research — Ball State University