Explain your career path

Having obtained a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Kansas, I came to Southeast and began working in financial aid and student affairs areas. This led to my interest in student affairs, which was then a new master's degree concentration in Counseling in the College of Education at Southeast. After working as an academic advisor for a couple of years at Southeast, I wanted to advance my career with a doctorate in the field and set my sights on the top program in the country at the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan. After completing my PhD, I stayed at U-M in a variety of roles, ending up in a management position at the Institute for Research on Innovation and Science (IRIS), which is a data repository that explores the public value of higher education.

What was your major at Southeast and how would you characterize the quality of that program to prospective students?

See above

Why did you choose to attend Southeast?

I moved to the area with my then-husband and started working at Southeast. It was natural to move into the role of graduate student.

Who influenced you most during your time at Southeast?

Dr. Karen Myers, who is now faculty at Saint Louis University.

Share your best college memory.

Graduation!

If you were in Greek Life, the Honors Program or any other student organization, please tell us about that experience and how it impacted you.

There have been many, but I am currently leading a program to study the impact of the Clinical and Translational Science Award program and I'm very excited about the potential of this project to affect programs across the country.

What is the most important thing you learned while you were at Southeast?

To trust myself as a scholar and as a professional.

Describe Southeast in three words.

Transformative, parochial

What advice would you give current students or recent graduates interested in pursuing a career in your professional field?

Do it because you love it - you have to enjoy working with students, with faculty, and with institutions.