Short Bio
My innate and insatiable curiosity drove me to pursue a career in education. Constantly questioning, always analyzing, and voraciously reading my whole life I nevertheless wasn’t really sure which career path to follow because of varied interests, yet always knowing that learning was a passion.
The passion for learning was instilled early by my mother, a true erudite. Not satisfied to be “read to” I insisted on reading myself, thus beginning a life-long habit (obsession). However, the path to teaching was circuitous; first working in the trust department of a bank, then as a stock broker, I first pursed a degree in biology, switching to psychology, business, and finally returning to my true love: reading and writing. After leaving Wall Street behind, I finished my Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature at Cal State San Bernardino and then moved on to receive a Master of Arts degree in 19th British Literature from Cal State Fullerton (Go TITANS!) in 1996.
During the pursuit of my Master’s degree, I held the position of Director of Education for Sylvan Learning center and also tutored CSUF students in the writing lab. Paying my dues as a “Road Scholar” and teaching literature, argument, persuasion, and various writing classes at numerous community colleges and UC Irvine, I am now exclusively back home at CSUF, teaching advertising and business writing. In addition, I am a teaching fellow of the UCI Writing Institute, had both ads and poetry published, and has taught electronic writing at UCI’s summer bridge program.
In my spare time I am simultaneously writing an Advertising textbook, riding my Indian Spirit motorcycle, and trying to keep up with my three Weimaraner dogs, one of which is a show dog who has finished first place in several shows.
Some of my personal, social or work related media interests that may become areas of research and inquiry as a doctoral student include:
- Currently writing a textbook on the advertising/persuasive techniques relating to branding and understanding the millennial generation
Worked with Sports Marketing Networks to deepen media impact of motor sports - Developing online communication courses using traditional and less traditional technology
- Examining the media impact, combined with the influence of pop culture, on millennial and post millennial generation.
I am excited to be a part of the Media Psychology PhD. program.
