English 015 - Rhetoric and Composition

Short description of any research interests:
Medieval literature - children in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales

Publications:
"'A, my dere brother! Why [ha]ve ye taryed so longe frome me?' Arthur, Morgan le Fay, and Sibling Rivalry in Malory's Works." Winning Essays, Villanova University, 2003

"Hidden Treasures: Analyzing Literature from a Feminist Perspective." LIT Journal 26.1 (2001-2002): 80-88.

"Sunlight and Shadows." The Griffin. (2000): 50-52.

"Anticipating the Future." The Griffin. (2000): 91-93

Interests:
I believe that the main purpose of education is to produce well-rounded members of society who are able to function in today's technological and complex world. To be well-rounded, students need to be exposed to all areas of the curriculum so that they are able to respond to the many different challenges that will face them as they live and work in a global society. I attempt to instill in my students a love of reading and the ability to write clearly so that they may communicate their thoughts to others. No matter what career a student plans to pursue, he or she must be able to read, write, and speak clearly. Whether one's career is in business, the arts, computer technology, or the sciences, people must be able to read well and express their findings clearly so that others may understand. In a world where communication is extremely important, the inability to write and speak clearly is a handicap. In addition, today's students face a world where their opinions and values are constantly challenged. The ability to defend one's beliefs in a clear and calm manner is probably the most important tool that a student can have. I attempt to make my classroom a pleasant environment where a student is encouraged to express an opinion different from that of the majority of the group and to be confident enough to back up that belief.

Hobbies:
Reading, Sewing (especially quilting), Needlework, Decorative painting, Gardening, and Tennis.