I am a doctoral candidate in Lifelong Learning and Adult Education with a focus on distance learning. I hold a M.Ed. in Learning Design and Technology from Penn State University, where I began graduate study in 2017. I have been an educator for over twenty years, the last twelve of which have been at the college level. I am also an autoimmune disease sufferer, which prompted my initial interest in distance education and led me to exploring the remote facilitation of postsecondary learning.

My primary research areas are the literacies – specifically information, digital, and media literacy – in higher education settings, and enhancing those literacies and other 21st century skills through self-paced, digitally scaffolded learning journeys. To date, I have designed several literacy-based digital badges implemented through my course LMS, and I continue to study how these experiences enhance student competencies and enrich the learning landscape. In shifting into my doctoral focus, I hope to continue exploring how literacy-based online initiatives may improve student outcomes in hybrid-delivery and distance learning modalities.