I grew up in Los Angeles but have spent my adult life tracing a circuitous path between New England, the Rocky Mountain West, and the Midwest. I earned and A.B. in history and American civilization at Brown University (1993) and an M.A. in education at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (1994). After teaching high school in Connecticut for four years, I decided that I wanted to delve more deeply into history and headed to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to earn an M.A. (2000) and eventually a Ph.D. (2006), specializing in early American history and American religion. I chose these fields because I had especially enjoyed teaching them. Living in New England, surrounded by remnants of its history, probably helped plant those seeds, too.

Because of my background as a high school teacher, I have kept one foot in the world of secondary education. Over the years, I have taught methods courses, supervised student teachers, and advised students who are preparing to teach.

I have taught at Illinois State University, Iliff School of Theology, and the University of Colorado Denver. I am now an associate professor of history at Metropolitan State University of Denver. I live in the Denver area with my husband, daughter, son, and a cold-blooded cast of characters that currently includes fish, snakes, tarantulas, geckos, toads, and a turtle.

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