I am a librarian and historian. I hold a Ph.D. in early modern English history and a MLS in Rare Books and Manuscripts librarianship. I consider myself a cultural historian of early modern England with particular interest in women as both agents and tools of cultural change. The reign of Elizabeth I offers fruitful ground for a variety of related questions in this broad field. My early research focused my inquiries into two main topics: national identity formation as it intersects with gender issues and the challenges of patronage and literary dedication during the reign of a female monarch. My dissertation addressed these topics through an examination of the printed books dedicated to Elizabeth I during her reign.

My recent research has led me to pursue questions of female agency in the development of the business of printing in early modern England. I am also pursuing questions concerning the role of the Printer’s Address to the Reader in early modern English books. In examining these subjects, I am utilizing digital humanities tools, including network analysis and textual analysis. The use of new media tools offers exciting opportunities for textual analysis and data mining that can shed new light on the complex social world of early modern England and particularly of women.

I am an engaged and motivated teacher. I enjoy bringing my excitement for research and historical sources to the classroom. I have received teaching awards at Arizona State University and at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. I have participated in peer review of teaching projects at both UNL and at Ball State University. Students find my courses challenging, yet rewarding. I am dedicated to a teaching philosophy that provides student-centered learning whether in the classroom or in any of my online courses. I utilize technology in the classroom wherever appropriate to enhance learning. I routinely seek to revitalize and rethink my pedagogy to improve my teaching.

Teaching in the Special Collections and University Archives at Clemson University presented challenges right from the start as I began my work there at the height of the COVID pandemic. Fortunately, my 15+ years experience teaching online gave me a solid foundation for fulfilling my mandate to develop a robust instruction program for Special Collections and the University Archives online. Since the return to in-person instruction, I have transitioned to using these digital learning objects (DLOs) as a way to “front-load” instruction content, leaving me free to provide a more dynamic, interactive, and engaging hands-on experience for students visiting special collections.

In addition to my position in Special Collections at Clemson University, I also teach two courses for the History department each semester. This allows me to maintain long-term interaction with my own students that creates a positive synergy between my teaching in both special collections and in the classroom.

My teaching brings me many opportunities to act as mentor and guide to my students along the way. I enjoy getting to know students in class, in office hours, and through other activities. I take seriously the idea of a college education as a complete experience and consider it a privilege and an obligation to advise and mentor students whenever possible whether it is about academic affairs or life’s challenges. Often these interactions focus mainly on letters of recommendation or directing an honor’s thesis, but just as often the need is for sympathy, pragmatic counsel, or referrals to student services.

My interests in community outreach extend from this commitment to teaching. Many years spent in customer service and sales prior to my academic career inculcated in me a drive to create partnerships, consider the needs of various stakeholders, and make sure that diverse voices are heard.