B.A. English, University of California, Riverside

M.A. Communication, Stanford University

M.A. American Civilization, University of Pennsylvania

Ph.D. Comparative Culture, University of California, Irvine

• BIS 162 Race, Gender, and Sexuality through Film and Television
• BIS 261 Introduction to Film Studies
• BIS 347 History of American Documentary Film
• BISCLA 384 Literary and Popular Genres (Drama)
• BIS 379 American Ethnic Literature
• BIS 499 Portfolio Capstone

Students teach themselves when provided the opportunity and motivation; my goal is to provide both. I seek not so much to change minds as to open them, and to teach lifelong critical and analytical skills rather than a set of facts. I rely on small-group exercises to develop students’ abilities in teamwork and problem solving; rarely will they work in isolation. I also emphasize excellence in verbal and written communication.

I try to put students first; to use multiple, complementary pedagogical methods, including technology; to promote cooperation rather than competition in the classroom; to emphasize concepts rather than discrete facts; to remain flexible; to collaborate with colleagues in developing the most effective materials and methods; and to adapt to each student’s and each class’s particular constellation of skills and interests. I aim for an appreciation for complexity; our world is not simple. I am proud to be on a team of teachers who work hard to create educated, broad-thinking humans.

As an American and ethnic studies scholar, I work mostly with the writings of ethnic American authors in their historical and cultural contexts. I have published a co-edited book on race and ethnicity in American texts and articles on various Asian American and African American writers; a co-edited book on using classroom response systems in higher education; and a peer-reviewed, co-authored book, a reader-response study of the work of Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison. I currently am developing a free, online guide for teaching Morrison’s novel, Song of Solomon, using the research of my students.

After directing the UW Bothell Teaching and Learning Center for seven years, I taught American studies at three universities in Japan as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar in 2021-22.