Currently,  I am a visiting professor at Willamette University where I teach introductory poetry writing. I have enjoyed teaching poetry in a variety of formats, from one-day guest lectures to week-long intensive creative writing camps. I first discovered my love for teaching poetry while using poems in English conversation classes during my service with Literacy AmeriCorps. I earned my MFA in poetry from the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, and I have a BA in literature and creative writing from Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington.

My experience as a writer, reader, and editor of poetry informs my role as teacher.  Regardless of their career path, my students can benefit from the study of poetry that sensitizes them to the choices we make when writing.  My ultimate goal in the classroom is to encourage my students to cultivate a love of language through writing and reading poetry that can enhance their personal and professional lives. [more here]