As an undergraduate I majored in Spanish at a liberal arts college and quickly determined that I wanted to teach at a similar school. I've been teaching language, culture, and Paideia at Luther since 2004 and enjoy my work in the Luther community very much. One of the best parts of my job is leading January-Term study abroad courses to Spain and Latin America, where my students immerse themselves in the local culture and build their proficiency in Spanish.

I have researched and published on contemporary Spanish poetry by women writers and more recently on metacognition in language courses -- how students become aware of and monitor their own learning. I've collaborated with Luther students to build digital resources for learning Spanish and recently completed a series of problem-based learning units for advanced students of Spanish.

From August 2018 - May 2020 I served as Dennis M. Jones Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Humanities and directed a project to promote inclusive teaching and learning at Luther.