Professor and Dean, School of Education; Director, MAT Program
I am currently Dean of the School of Education, Director of the Master of Arts in Teaching program, and a professor in our Education Studies Minor. An overarching goal of my professional work is to heighten appreciation for the complexity of teachers’ work--as well as to encourage close attention to the nuances of student learning in classrooms. A primary area of interest is literacy development at both elementary and secondary levels. I teach courses related to curriculum and instruction, with specialization in English/language arts and adolescent literacies and identities. At Puget Sound, I have helped to design school-university partnerships, researched teacher mentoring practices, and recently have studied reflection practices among pre-service teachers as well as alternative methods of student teaching.
I grew up in Seattle, and much of my family lives in the Northwest. I studied in the Bay Area before moving to Chicago, where I received my teaching degree. I taught primarily English/language arts for more than 12 years, in both urban and suburban high school settings in Illinois and Washington, before coming to ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú in 2000. I’m married with two kids, grown now, both of whom attended Tacoma schools. I’ve played soccer for more than 40 years and still coach and play occasionally.