Education: Phases of my thinking
At Clark
University, I am pursuing a Ph.D. in Geography under the supervision
of Deborah
Martin. My research focuses on place theory, urban sustainability, and qualitative uses of GIS. My dissertation research explores the social construction of urban land tenure in the United States. Please see the research section for more detail.
While at NYU's Gallatin School between 2005 and 2007, I completed an M.A. that dealt with the place-based narratives of Baltimore, Maryland in the second half of the 20th century. My advisor was René Poitevin, and my committee included David Moore and Steve Hutkins.
Between 1996 and 2000, I completed a B.A. at Hampshire College. My undergraduate thesis examined why social/cultural responses to the sustainability challenge and "peak oil" had been so subdued (a sitution regarding which a decade's progress has been encouraging, but which still requires attention). My undergraduate advisor was James Miller, and the chair of my dissertation committee was Mark Feinstein.
Teaching and learning
I enjoy teaching and questions of geographical pedagogy, and look forward to teaching at the college level in my field as I complete my dissertation work. In the meantime, while I am certainly primarily focused on my research, I seek out opportunities to stay active in the classroom, both at the college level and with younger students.
I am currently a research assistant in the Graduate School of Geography. During the summers of 2007 and 2008, I was a Programming Instructor in Johns Hopkins' CTY program.
The long-term view of my career
Before joining the Ph.D. program at Clark, I spent a number of years working in education in New York City and Boston. I was a high school classroom teacher of English and Computer Science; a college-level curriculum developer and instructor working with late-entry college students; and a curriculum developer and instructor with multiple NYC education nonprofits supporting experiential education, particularly around urban ecology, for middle and high school students. Throughout all of this work I maintained a focus on urban questions and urban issues; My M.A. process at NYU served as a way to condense my New York experience within a coherent analytical frame as I prepared to begin my Ph.D.
Downloadable Files
My academic c.v. (Adobe Acrobat)
A more broadly relevant resume. (Adobe Acrobat)
Please feel free to contact me with requests for specific information.