BIO
- MFA ’13, Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences
- Artist, mentor and instructor in graphic design
- Full-time RVer, visiting and volunteering in national parks and on public lands
- Founder of art and mindfulness retreats in the Rocky Mountains,
launching summer 2026 (rewildingyournature.com)
Two years after obtaining my undergraduate degree, I started as an adjunct professor at Harford Community College in 2002. As a graphic designer who had a rigorous production background, I realized that I had a knack for breaking down software and art foundations.
After learning the ropes of higher ed, I realized I could only go so far: I would need a master’s degree to continue teaching. So I began researching MFA programs.
In 2008, I was a homeowner, working full time as a graphic designer at a local accounting firm. While there were two options, only one was really viable. The local arts college required a full-time courseload without flexible classes. I would have had to quit my job and sell my house to reasonably attend that program. The University of Baltimore was a more curious option, but it actually allowed for a work/life/school balance. That wasn’t what sold me, though.
When I met with Professor Ed Gold to discuss the Integrated Design program, he spoke of how his career influenced his pedagogy. I knew then that UBalt was the right place for my continued studies.
In each class, I was always supported while tackling design challenges, and classmates were like-minded, curious leaders. (A refreshing respite from the left-brain thinkers of the accounting firm.)
Beyond design, I was able to pursue teaching in academia as part of my degree program. My mentor, Professor Julie Simon, guided me through two courses as an adjunct professor at UB, discussing classroom goals and challenges, engagement and outcomes. We discussed the cyclical nature of hiring at universities, teaching philosophies and interview processes.
As I look back at more than 20 years of encouraging students, seeing the possibility in the work they produce and attending graduations to celebrate their successes, this is my success.
I have since made a departure from professional services design and now embrace the title of mixed media artist and gather my inspiration from the beauty of the West.
As a full-time RVer traveling to wild places and national parks for the last eight years, I create layered wood decor, photo embroidery pieces and watercolor paintings. I have volunteered over 2,500 hours in public lands. I have received five artist-in-residence appointments in various public land locations across the Rocky Mountain West. And as part of my residencies, I teach workshops focused on the beauty and strength that nature provides.
Teaching is a body of work; it runs alongside my creative body of work. What I thought were parallel lines of teaching and art making are actually intersecting lines. And it was the University of Baltimore that fostered me at the starting point of those two lines.
Drawing from these two intersecting lines, I am excited to launch a retreat this summer in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, where I’ll be hosting a variety of nature-inspired art workshops partnered with mindfulness exercises.