Bio
My pathway to public health & education was my passion to understand the many ways the school-to-prison pipeline affects adolescents' well-being. I’ve been an adjunct instructor of public health, education, and justice studies at various universities, including Teachers College, Columbia University, Texas Southern University, and Rowan University. I spent 10 years in diversity, equity, & inclusion consulting in higher education and independent schools designing and implementing educator professional development, and helping schools operationalize their DEI strategic plans. I've also worked in industry in environmental health and insurance defense litigation. I apply skills acquired from all my experiences to my research, teaching, and mentoring students.
I earned my B.A. and M.A. in Criminal Justice and Legal Studies, and I enthusiastically working on my dissertation for my doctorate in Health and Behavior Studies at Teachers College, Columbia University. I believe that research should help solve problems and not live and die behind peer reviewed pay walls. I love to teach students of all ages how to conduct research and investigate an issue that feeds their curiosity. That passion keeps me teaching both adolescents and young adults. When I’m not on a college campus, I’m teaching kids how to read and write.
Originally from Trenton, New Jersey, I had the opportunity to attend a Quaker school in Bucks County, Pennsylvania as an adolescent, which taught me to adapt, build relationships across cultures, and develop critical inquiry skills. I became fascinated with understanding the differences and surprising similarities across cultures, and my curiosity has led me into lots of experiences that have molded me into the scholar, educator, and human I am today.