Biography
I am an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Department of Communication Studies at Texas State University, where I also serve as the Basic Course Director for COMM 1310, Fundamentals of Human Communication. I began my connection with Texas State as a graduate teaching assistant in 2006 and have spent nearly two decades teaching, mentoring students, and contributing to the Communication Studies program. Over that time, I have taught courses in Fundamentals of Human Communication, Public Speaking, Interpersonal Communication, and Talking Like TED in the Honors College, while also helping to develop and support the instructors who teach one of the university’s largest foundational courses.
My educational path began at Angelo State University, where I earned a B.B.A. in Business Administration. While there, I discovered that the classes I enjoyed most were not necessarily the ones focused on business, but those that explored communication, relationships, and the ways people influence and connect with one another. That realization led me to Texas State, where I earned my M.A. in Communication Studies and found a field that combined my interest in communication with my passion for teaching. What began as an interest in communication as a practical skill developed into a career centered on helping students become more confident communicators, stronger relationship builders, and, ultimately, better people.
My teaching philosophy is grounded in a simple idea: students learn better when they know their instructor cares about them. I believe that credibility, enthusiasm, immediacy, and genuine relationships with students are not separate from effective teaching, they are part of it. My goal is to create classrooms that are structured and academically meaningful while still being approachable, practical, and enjoyable. I want students to leave my courses with communication skills they can immediately use in their personal, academic, and professional lives.
As Basic Course Director, I oversee the largest and most complex instructional program in the department, coordinating hundreds of sections and thousands of students each academic year across face-to-face, online, and Texas State Global courses. I recruit, train, mentor, schedule, and assess the instructors who teach COMM 1310, working to maintain consistency and quality across a large and diverse instructional team. This role has allowed me to expand my impact beyond my own classroom and contribute to the teaching and learning experiences of thousands of Texas State students each year.
My work as an educator has been recognized at the university, state and national levels. I am a Texas State University System Regents’ Teacher and a recipient of the Texas State University Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Presidential Award for Excellence in Service. In 2023, I was recognized as a Pearson Excellence in Higher Education Championing Student Success Award winner for my work supporting students through COMM 1310. These recognitions are especially meaningful to me because they reflect the two areas that have defined my career at Texas State, teaching students well and finding ways to make the university experience better for them.
Beyond the classroom, I have remained deeply involved in the life of the university and the Communication Studies program. I have served as an advisor for Lambda Pi Eta, the National Communication Association’s honor society for Communication Studies, and have contributed to numerous departmental and college committees, including curriculum, assessment, undergraduate evaluation, faculty searches, TA selection, and affordable learning materials initiatives. I also serve as Creative Director for TEDxTexasStateUniversity, where I work with students to develop the visual identity, stage design, and overall experience of the annual event. Across these roles, I try to approach service in much the same way I approach teaching, by finding practical ways to support students, colleagues, and the larger Texas State community.
At the center of all of this is still the same philosophy that brought me into Communication Studies in the first place: communication matters because people matter. My goal as an educator is simple, know my stuff, connect with my students, communicate well, and make sure they know I care about them. I believe that is how students learn, and it is how we help them become better communicators and better people.
My educational path began at Angelo State University, where I earned a B.B.A. in Business Administration. While there, I discovered that the classes I enjoyed most were not necessarily the ones focused on business, but those that explored communication, relationships, and the ways people influence and connect with one another. That realization led me to Texas State, where I earned my M.A. in Communication Studies and found a field that combined my interest in communication with my passion for teaching. What began as an interest in communication as a practical skill developed into a career centered on helping students become more confident communicators, stronger relationship builders, and, ultimately, better people.
My teaching philosophy is grounded in a simple idea: students learn better when they know their instructor cares about them. I believe that credibility, enthusiasm, immediacy, and genuine relationships with students are not separate from effective teaching, they are part of it. My goal is to create classrooms that are structured and academically meaningful while still being approachable, practical, and enjoyable. I want students to leave my courses with communication skills they can immediately use in their personal, academic, and professional lives.
As Basic Course Director, I oversee the largest and most complex instructional program in the department, coordinating hundreds of sections and thousands of students each academic year across face-to-face, online, and Texas State Global courses. I recruit, train, mentor, schedule, and assess the instructors who teach COMM 1310, working to maintain consistency and quality across a large and diverse instructional team. This role has allowed me to expand my impact beyond my own classroom and contribute to the teaching and learning experiences of thousands of Texas State students each year.
My work as an educator has been recognized at the university, state and national levels. I am a Texas State University System Regents’ Teacher and a recipient of the Texas State University Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Presidential Award for Excellence in Service. In 2023, I was recognized as a Pearson Excellence in Higher Education Championing Student Success Award winner for my work supporting students through COMM 1310. These recognitions are especially meaningful to me because they reflect the two areas that have defined my career at Texas State, teaching students well and finding ways to make the university experience better for them.
Beyond the classroom, I have remained deeply involved in the life of the university and the Communication Studies program. I have served as an advisor for Lambda Pi Eta, the National Communication Association’s honor society for Communication Studies, and have contributed to numerous departmental and college committees, including curriculum, assessment, undergraduate evaluation, faculty searches, TA selection, and affordable learning materials initiatives. I also serve as Creative Director for TEDxTexasStateUniversity, where I work with students to develop the visual identity, stage design, and overall experience of the annual event. Across these roles, I try to approach service in much the same way I approach teaching, by finding practical ways to support students, colleagues, and the larger Texas State community.
At the center of all of this is still the same philosophy that brought me into Communication Studies in the first place: communication matters because people matter. My goal as an educator is simple, know my stuff, connect with my students, communicate well, and make sure they know I care about them. I believe that is how students learn, and it is how we help them become better communicators and better people.
Teaching Interests
Interpersonal, Public Speaking, Intro to Communication, Talking Like Ted