Assistant Teaching Professor, School of Social Work

What classes are you teaching this semester? 

I will be teaching one section of Social Work 4970 and one section of Social Work 4971. In addition to the courses, I will be working with students planning for their social work practicum placements next semester. I will also be developing new field placement opportunities for social work students.  

What do you love about teaching? What are you most looking forward to this semester?  

I love teaching because students are full of energy, new ideas and passion for the field of social work. I am most looking forward to learning everything I can about the field placement office and processes.  

Tell us a little about yourself! What is your background? 

My background consists of working for several years after getting my BS in psychology at Missouri State. I returned to graduate school as an older student. Upon graduation, I entered student affairs at MU for over 13 years working in the Wellness Resource Center. My role focused on tobacco policy, cessation, advising several student groups and substance use harm reduction. I left Mizzou for one year to work on an opioid harm reduction project with the Missouri Hospital Association-specifically working to reduce pregnant and postpartum opioid exposure. I returned to Mizzou in February 2020 to lead an injury prevention project aimed at reducing serious injury and fatalities due to traffic crashes. I just recently started my role with the School of Social Work and will be working in the field placement office with both BSW and MSW students.  

When you are not teaching, what are you up to?  

I am married and have a teenage son. When I am not teaching, I spend a lot of time following my son’s various interests and pursuits. I also love watching Mizzou, Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs football. I have two fur babies that keep me busy as well.  

What brought you to Mizzou? To your field?  

I visited Columbia in 2000 and fell in love with the area. I was drawn to Mizzou from the time I first visited campus.  

I worked for many years after undergrad and was really drawn to the field of social work for many reasons including the applied learning, the varied career options available and the ability to be a small part of someone making a positive change in their life. The field is extremely rewarding and meaningful. 

What is a fact about you that your students might not expect?  

A surprising fact about me is that I grew up in the developing world. I returned to the United States on my own when I was a senior in high school.  

Growing up in the developing world shaped my worldview and was one of the largest reasons I chose the field of social work. As a child, I saw first-hand how inequity, specifically colonialism, profoundly changed — and continues to impact — fairness and equality for all generations that followed it.   Those experiences gave me great passion for the work that social workers do each day. The opportunity to serve and impact students who are engaged in changing the world made this role a done deal for me.