I am the chair of a large department at VCU, a public, access-oriented, R1 university. Prior to joining VCU, I chaired a department of English at a small liberal arts college, where I taught a range of English and general education courses. I also served as a Director of the Center for Excellence Teaching and Learning for a five years. In that role, I designed and led a mentoring program for early career faculty, and I collaborated with my co-directors to develop university-wide workshops and programming to improve inclusive, learner-centered teaching, address faculty burnout, and foster community.
I hold a PhD in English from Emory University, an MA in English from Boston College, and a BA in English from University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. I am working toward my Associate Coaching Certification and have more than 70 hours of training and 40 hours of practice coaching.
How Coaching Helped me
My leadership in higher education has coincided with budget cuts, faculty and staff burnout, and university-wide restructuring. Working with a coach offers me a sounding board and ally who is focused on my goals and the way I perceive complex situations to help me navigate the challenges of a new leadership position. They have listened to and acknowledge the stressors I’ve faced and served as an interlocutor to help me develop strategies to address issues as they arose. Working with a coach has helped:
- Provide tools and references to build my skills as a leader
- Reframe how I think about aspects of my role and the ways I engage with my faculty and staff
- Address the emotional labor of leadership
- Develop concrete strategies, such as timelines, milestones, and habits to reach a goal and tackle a problem
- Practice self-care and a work-life balance to avoid burnout and so I can meet each day with renewed energy to do what I need to do.
- Identify the ways I have grown into my role as a department chair
- Name my strengths as a leader