I am a professor in the physics department at NC State and a member of the physics education research (PER) group where I work to improve teaching and learning in higher eduction STEM.

My research span many areas, but most of my work centers around three big questions.

1. How do we increase the effective use of research based innovations in higher ed STEM education to maximize student learning and success?

2. How do we make the culture of STEM supportive, fair and welcoming for all students?

3. How can we empower all students with the tools and support they need to take charge of their own learning (and life) to thrive?

You can learn more about these strands by visiting my research page

Before joining NC State in the Fall of 2025, I spent more than a decade as a STEM education evaluator. I evaluated REU projects, S-STEM projects and others, mostly with an equity focus. I evaluated REU projects, S-STEM programs, and other initiatives, most with an equity focus. While I am not currently taking on new evaluation projects, that experience deeply informs my perspective as a researcher, collaborator, and mentor.

At heart, I am curious and thrive on new challenges. That curiosity has led me down some unexpected and rewarding paths:

• In 2015, I completed a 40-hour mediation certification and volunteered with Jefferson County, Colorado’s community mediation program for five years, mediating more than 65 cases ranging from neighbor disputes to custody agreements. I loved helping people navigate conflict and learned a great deal about listening and working through difficult situations.
• In the summer of 2024, I interned at WMUK, an NPR affiliate in Kalamazoo, Michigan, producing stories that gave me the chance to constantly learn from others. That experience sharpened my storytelling skills and continues to influence how I approach communication and teaching.
• From 2024 to 2025, I volunteered with Rank MI Vote to help launch a grassroots campaign for Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in Michigan. I played a key role in building statewide field teams, served as a speaker, and saw the movement grow from a handful of volunteers to more than 2,000. RCV is a simple, nonpartisan reform shown to reduce polarization and increase voter choice and representation. I am now continuing this work with Better Ballot NC.

Whether in research, evaluation, community work, or personal life, a throughline connects it all: listening deeply to others in order to understand, and working together to make the world a bit better. That is my passion.

Outside of my professional life, I spend my time looking for interesting things to do and learn, doing my best to be a good friend, mother, and partner, spending as much time as possible outside and hanging with my dog. I also spend time engaging in various authentic relating practices such as “circling”. I am incredibly grateful to have found these practices and the wonderful inspiration people I have met through them.