Prior to joining the Smarty Pants team, I completed Chapman University’s three year doctoral program, receiving my Ph.D. in Media and Communication Technology (May, 2024). During my time as a graduate student, I used mixed methods to develop a rigorous research agenda centered around one goal: to understand how families and young people leverage stories to make sense of themselves and the world around them. 

I am honored to be the recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Ph.D. Student Award, an award given to one doctoral student — by faculty vote — in recognition of academic and scholarly excellence.

I had the honor of teaching undergraduate students at Chapman University in an array of topics including mass communication, intercultural communication, and business communication. As a Graduate Student Instructor, I was awarded the opportunity to create and implement my own course syllabi each semester. This allowed me to gain exemplary skill not only in classroom facilitation, but also in developing and evaluating student learning outcomes.

I am a strong advocate for translating my passions beyond research and the classroom. As such, I dedicate a large portion of my time to completing service work which empowers and elevates underrepresented voices.

During the summer of 2023, I was competitively selected as a fellow on Rutgers University’s Health Communication & Health Inequalities Across the Health Professions in Greece and the U.S. program. During this service-learning fellowship, I conducted fieldwork in Crete, giving me the opportunity to visit several communities experiencing health inequities and to personally speak with the individuals impacted.

As my final project, me and my team designed a health intervention aimed to educate primary school children on the importance of practicing empathy and designed empathy skill-building exercises that can be utilized in Greek school systems in an effort to destigmatize Roma children.