MAJOR:
History
DEGREE:
M.A. in History, ’05, Ph.D. in History, Florida International University, ‘13
Dissertation: “To Hold the World in Contempt”: The British Empire, War, and the Irish and Indian Nationalist Press, 1899-1914
CURRENT POSITION:
I currently teach AP European History and IB Twentieth Century World History at Miramar High School
FIRST JOB:
After spending more than twenty-five years working as a writer/producer in the entertainment industry, my first job in academia was teaching Introduction to Media Studies, as an Adjunct Professor at FAU, from 2004-2005.
BIGGEST CHALLENGES:
I fear that writing is being devalued in our current culture – and my constant challenge as a teacher is to convince my students of the importance of clearly expressing their ideas. I set aside time for private conferences, to help students find their own voices as writers. As exhausting and exasperating as it may be to read more than one hundred history essays in one week, it is also positively exhilarating to come across a fresh idea presented with flair and conviction.
BEST FAU MEMORY:
Without a doubt, my favorite memory is sitting in Professor Heather Frazer’s office, just talking about history. I always admired the British system of tutorials, but I never thought that I would be able to enjoy the extraordinary privilege of exchanging ideas with such a brilliant academic – and especially one who possessed the grace to treat me as an equal. A special thanks to Professor Sandra Norman for insisting – demanding – that I write my Master’s thesis.
ROLE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY PLAYED IN YOUR CAREER:
I had always loved reading history, but was not convinced I should pursue it as a career. I will forever be grateful to professors such as Heather Frazer and Eric Hanne, who encouraged my writer’s voice, but refused to let me settle – who pushed and prodded until I produced work that satisfied their exacting standards. By the time I completed my first year of study, I knew I would be pursuing my Ph.D. – and the discipline instilled in me by the FAU Department of History was utterly invaluable in my doctoral studies.
GOAL:
As much as I enjoy teaching, it is my dream to devote myself solely to my writing at some point in the future. Tucked away in a drawer are several unfinished chapters of several different novels, and there is, of course, that pesky dissertation that longs to be transformed into a book. However, I would truly love to write popular history, and perhaps ignite a passion for the past in my readers.
FAVORITE BOOK:
Never ask a writer to choose her favorite book! (You might as well ask me to name my favorite cat!) I can only say with certainty that Charles Dickens is my favorite author, and that in this year of the First World War Centenary my copy of Paul Fussell’s The Great War and Modern Memory is always close at hand.
PERSONAL:
There is nothing more important to me than my family. It was my parents and my sister, Lanie, who gave me the courage to pursue both my MA and my Ph.D. My mother, Sylvia, passed away over a year ago, but she is with me always. This past summer, I was blessed to have my 90-year old father, Mike, accompany me to a history conference in Dublin, and the two of us embarked on a fabulous journey around Ireland! A love of family and a passion for history fill my life.
