B.A., English and Philosophy, Tulane University (2005)

“Public service is very important to me; I left a job in the nonprofit sector because I thought I could make more of a difference in academia, whether through my scholarship or my teaching.  I am happy that the Jefferson Scholars Foundation supports the parallel goals of scholarship and service and am excited about what I can do with their support while I’m a Fellow and in my future career.”

“In my case, the English department has a top-rated Ph.D. program that one might consider instead of an Ivy League school even without a Jefferson Fellowship.  Having the Fellowship provides the advantage of meeting people in other departments whom you may not otherwise meet, and there are increasing opportunities for interdisciplinary discussion.”

Research Interests: modern and contemporary American literature and culture, theories of language, linguistic change, metaphor, waste, and technology.