I am an Instructor in the Department of Community and Leadership Development in the College of Agriculture.  I have been focused lately on teaching – I’m especially enthused about community-integrated or service-learning components. I teach classes dealing with global social and environmental problems and solutions, sustainability and the social aspects of food and agriculture, and international development (GEN100/200, HON115, and AS300). 

I earned my PhD in Rural Sociology at Penn State (2008), an MS in Sociology here at UK (2004), and a BA in International Studies at the University of Dayton in OH (2000). At all three schools I lucked into excellent mentors and hope I can be useful to students in the same way. I strongly support students taking advantage of international immersion opportunities; my experiences in Cameroon, Thailand, Poland, and Italy inspired my intellectual and life direction. 

In terms of research, my focus includes the socio-economic impacts of bio-energy development and agri-food systems, and I have a special interest in the effects of coal on Appalachian communities.  A recent article is Hope and Skepticism: Farmer and Local Community Views on the Socio-Economic Benefits of Agricultural Bio-energy, in Biomass and Bio-energy 35(4): 2011 with Dr. C. Clare Hinrichs. 

I love to ride bikes in groups, travel, craft, watch rugby and Steelers football, walk in forests, stand on mountaintops, cook, and build ornate castles with wooden blocks for my daughter to knock down.