Welcome!
I’ve been teaching writing and literature courses for over 20 years, and my biggest pleasure is getting to know all of my students as individuals and working with them to help accomplish their goals. I call myself a “triple Duck,” by which I mean that I earned three degrees at the University of Oregon (BA, MA, PhD), all in the field of English. In addition, I received an MS in Education, Educational Technology with a specialization in online learning from Boise State University. I began teaching while in graduate school at the U of O and later taught at Idaho State University in Pocatello before returning to the state of Oregon, which I call home. Previous experience also includes working as a professional writer and editor, and training people on the use of technology tools. My PhD dissertation was on the writing of Abigail Scott Duniway (1834-1915), one of Oregon’s most famous people and an important leader in the early woman’s movement. I’ve published a number of items on her as well as on other topics in the field of American literature. Here’s a webpage with links to some of those publications. In my spare time, you’ll probably find me working in my garden, enjoying a hike, traveling as often as the opportunity arises, or (you guessed it) reading a book.
“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” — Henry David Thoreau, Walden