- Department: Family studies
- University: University of Florida
- Location: Gainesville, Florida
It took a move South from New York to bring me to Christ as a graduate student. I grew up not going to church and knowing little about the Bible or Jesus. As a second year M.S. student at the University of Georgia, I started to learn about Jesus. So I asked God to give me more time to learn about Him and He opened the doors to my admission into a PhD program. Later, everything fell into place (all God) for me to get a faculty position at UF one semester before completing my PhD. At the time I didn’t even know why I wanted a Ph.D. I knew I liked the library stacks, reading and learning and writing and reflecting. I didn’t know the Lord’s plan for me as a faculty member connecting with diverse groups of students – allowing me to still enjoy reading new research, writing, and reflecting while serving my campus as a follower of Jesus.
Favorite Quote
“People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care” ― Theodore Roosevelt
Friends describe me
Flexible - can drop what I'm doing to go out for a bite to eat, a concert, an outdoor activity. Sometimes I go off on tangents so I surround myself with people who are succinct and direct.
My hobbies
Living in Florida, I love the outdoors and related activities – I have to sometimes drag myself out of the office to do these things like hiking, bike riding and paddle boarding.
Fantasy dinner guests
Toni Morrison (just heard about her legendary carrot cake in a documentary I've watched), Pope Francis, Barbra Streisand (diversely different people)
Best advice I ever received
To get tenure, do what you love. (this came from a friend of mine from church
My undergrad alma mater
Yellowjackets - University of Rochester
My worst subject in school
History - now I love learning it!
In college I drove
Plymouth Reliant K Car (1983, Tan)
If I weren't a professor, I would
Be a musician or setting up sound and AV equipment at conventions. Maybe a US National Park Service Ranger.
Favorite books
Gentle & Lowly, Love in the Time of Cholera, One Thousand and One Nights
Favorite movies
Antwone Fisher, Wizard of Oz, Rebel without a Cause, The Pianist, Rain Man, The Color Purple
Favorite city
Paris
Favorite coffee
Decaf
Nobody knows I
(except my husband) I run in place at night to get the right number of steps in for the day . My closet floor has a lot of tread from thousands of nightly steps at 11:30 pm!
My latest accomplishment
Serving as coordinator of my departmental graduate program as well as serving in Grad CRU ministry that is thriving at UF thanks to strong leading graduate students and faculty.
Current Research
I enjoy learning about precursors to problems as well as successes among young people (adolescents aged 12-17 and emerging adults aged 18-25). Problems include mental health and delinquency whereas positive youth development entails spirituality with transcendent awareness and giving back to their communities.