Cougar Queries is a series profiling BYU employees by asking them questions about their work, interests and life.
BYU employee since: August 2012
My job at BYU is… associate professor of English. I get to teach courses in young adult literature and prepare future middle and high school English teachers for careers in education.
I’m currently working on… the first phases of a study with colleagues in the BYU Public School Partnership examining high performing teams of English/language arts teachers across the state of Utah. We want to see if the factors contributing to their success might help improve the performance of all students.
On Saturday mornings you’ll find me… trail running with good friends or somewhere with my family.
My favorite part about teaching is… the students, of course.
My advice to incoming and graduating seniors is… to invite the Lord to co-author your lives. He is aware of you, He wants to help you, He knows your unique talents and gifts and He can open possibilities for you that you might not otherwise even imagine for yourselves.
My go-to BYU Creamery ice cream flavor is… Earnestly Chocolate, but it’s hard to go wrong at the Creamery.
My favorite spot on campus is… the courtyard of the JFSB because it’s an inspiring, serene space to take a timeout on campus, and the arches, fountains and design of the whole space is embedded with symbols of light and learning.
My go-to comfort food is… ice cream! My go-to flavor depends on the brand, but there are few things ice cream can’t fix.
Three things that are always found in my refrigerator are… sweet Vidalia onion salad dressing, cream cheese and no less than four different kinds of ice cream. (Technically those are in the freezer, but…)
I get most excited about my work when… my students and their students catch a sense of the power of literacy to change their lives.
