What led you to study at GS?
I started college in 1996 at Emerson College in Boston. As a performance and film production major, I spent the summer of 1998 in Los Angeles and decided to take a semester off from school. That semester blossomed into many years, and it was suddenly 2001 and I was an associate producer at an independent film company. I knew I had to either commit to a career in film or go back to school. A friend had told me about GS, so I set up a time to visit and instantly fell in love. I met Dean Awn on the way out of Lewisohn Hall after my interview and knew that GS would be my home.
What was most memorable about your Columbia experience?
Aside from Dean Awn? I found a passion for American literature combined with a true love for nontraditional learners. My community was one filled with dancers, former Marines, lifetime learners, and much more. It was robust, inspiring, and honestly a lot of fun. I didn’t know until I got to Columbia that education could be so enjoyable. I liked it so much I stuck around at Teacher’s College (TC) for an MA.
What do you think makes GS such a unique school?
GS is a home for those who do not fit a traditional mold. Not everyone is ready for college at age 18, not everyone is ready to go straight through to age 22, and not everyone fits a “traditional” educational path. GS provides an elite education to individuals who already have the value of life and professional experience and who bring a wealth of perspective to everyone around them.
Can you share some of your career highlights?
I am the department chair of Professional Studies for Purdue University Global. This is an incredible job because Purdue Global is the school within the Purdue University system that caters to nontraditional students—I am back with my people! I began my postdoctoral career at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where I was an assistant professor of English and became the associate dean of policy and communications. After West Point, I became an assistant dean of students and resident dean at Harvard University, where I also taught in the English Department. While that was gratifying, my desire to connect with military, working, older, and otherwise nontraditional students pulled me to Purdue.
What is most rewarding about the work you do?
The student population. We have an extremely high percentage of active-duty military students in Professional Studies, as well as many individuals who are pivoting in their careers. We work with adult students in all stages of their educational journey. I am also extremely fortunate to have an amazing faculty who teach me new things every day.
