As a Visiting Assistant Professor in the English Department at Oklahoma State University I teach Introduction to Literature and Technical Writing. While these courses may seem to have little in common, they share the fundamental function of studying language use.

When it comes to the written word, whether one is a reader or a writer, whether the text under consideration is a set of  technical instructions or a poem, an understanding of form and style, and a dedication to precision is necessary to develop sharper, quicker intellects, and hopefully more engaged citizens.

While my teaching is primarily concerned with conveying and fostering an understanding and appreciation of literature, genre, rhetoric, and communication, I employ a similar approach in my research. I focus on Southern literature and explore the interactions between personal and social relationships with the environment as represented in literary texts.