Areas of Interest

Practicum experience in reading teacher preparation programs

Research Interests

I have had the privilege of sharing my passion for teaching literacy with all ages; from five year olds to fifty five year olds.  I began my journey as an educator in 1990 as a 2nd grade teacher in Phoenix Arizona. I continued teaching elementary age students in Grand Forks, North Dakota and Maplewood, Minnesota. In 1999, I began my work in higher education teaching literacy courses to undergraduate and graduate students at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I feel privileged to be working at the University of Minnesota where I can continue sharing my passion for literacy teaching and learning.

In addition to teaching literacy courses to preservice and graduate students at the University of Minnesota, I am also the Coordinator of the Reading Licensure Endorsement Program. It is a pleasure to be working with some of the most highly respected literacy professionals in the country; not to mention the wonderful and talented students enrolled in our program. 

I received my B.S. from the University of North Dakota and continued my graduate work at Hamline University in St. Paul (M.A.-Ed., 1996 and Ed.D., 2003). My scholarly interests are on reading teacher preparation.  I am especially interested in understanding the role that the practicum experience plays in teacher preparation programs.

My home is my literacy lab as I am the parent of two school-aged children, Austin and Andrew.  My husband, Tony, is a pilot for Northwest Airlines.  We reside in North St. Paul and enjoy playing outdoors whenever possible.