Education

• 1994 M.A., Speech Communication, Eastern Illinois University
• 1992 B.S., Speech Communication, English minor & teacher certification, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.

Accomplishments

• Partnered with book packager Livingstone Corporation for multiple devotional book projects.
• Certificate of Recognition for "The positive influence...made on the academic success of our first year students." Presented by ISU’s First Year Initiative of Residential Life, 2006.
• Professor of the Month, awarded by the Women of Delta Gamma, ISU, Spring 2005.
• Designed and delivered corporate communication workshops for organizations.\
• Educational Excellence Award, 2000. "In recognition of...outstanding accomplishments as an educator in the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana State University."

After having taught in the Communication Department here at VU as adjunct faculty from 2016 to 2019, I am thrilled to be back as a full-time faculty member doing what I love most! In the interim, I worked under a few different contracts with Toyota, which included making hiring decisions, and later, working under the branch of External Communications. This experience has allowed me to bridge curriculum and theory to real world encounters, especially for my Introduction to Public Relations class. Field trips, case studies, and outreach projects encourage students in this major to explore options and expose them to related contacts.
But even students in other majors benefit so much from our core classes. Public speaking and effective interpersonal communication are vitally necessary for any career and employers are seeking staff with effective communication skills. Equipping students in these areas and watching them progressively improve throughout the duration of a course is so rewarding and I am grateful for the opportunity to facilitate just that.