About Me
MY STORY
I study and teach at the intersection of social studies education, curriculum, culture, and teacher learning. My work focuses on how educators make meaningful, informed decisions about what and how they teach—and how social studies can better represent the people, histories, and experiences too often left out.
Across my teaching and research, I am especially interested in social studies teacher education, curriculum and representation, educator identity, qualitative inquiry, and the use of music and popular culture as sites for meaningful social studies learning.
My work is grounded in a simple idea: strong social studies teaching requires both substance and engagement. Teachers need deep content knowledge, thoughtful pedagogy, and the confidence to move beyond packaged curriculum toward learning that is rigorous, relevant, and responsive to the students and communities they serve.
News Stories & Social Media
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
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Featured in the University of South Florida College of Education news for co-leading the Educator Development for Growth and Excellence (EDGE) faculty workshop series, a professional development initiative designed to support reflective teaching, interdisciplinary collaboration, and instructional innovation through hands-on learning, structured feedback, and pedagogical strategy development.
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Featured in USF College of Education news, I co-led research examining how AI-generated podcasts can expand and complicate the communication of qualitative health research findings, highlighting both the potential for broader public reach and the ethical, editorial, and critical human oversight required when using generative AI tools.
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Highlighted by USF College of Education Facebook for organizing a place-based, hands-on learning experience at the Tampa Bay History Center for my undergraduate elementary social studies methods students.
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Featured in a USF College of Education Student Spotlight (Facebook) spotlighting my doctoral work and vision for advancing inclusive, justice-centered social science education in higher education.
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Recognized in USF College of Education’s #COEDUStudentSpotlight (Instagram) for scholarship and leadership in inclusive social studies education, culturally responsive pedagogy, and social justice–oriented teacher preparation.
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Featured by USF College of Education on LinkedIn for speaking at the Library of Congress as part of a national educator summit (July 2025) on fostering civil discourse and critical thinking in education.
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Featured in Jewish News Syndicate, I was selected to participate in a five-day national Holocaust education program, joining educators from across the United States in immersive, place-based learning experiences focused on deepening historical understanding, confronting antisemitism, and strengthening pedagogical approaches to teaching the Holocaust in meaningful, critical, and responsible ways.