About

I grew up in North Florida in a military family, with an emphasis on service and community, while my mother’s work teaching English as a second language exposed me to different countries and cultures. At the University of Florida, studying archaeology gave me a historical perspective on how people and societies adapt to change, while working in shelters contributed to my interest in social isolation and disconnection. I went on to study sociology at North Carolina State University, with concentrations in family/life course and globalization/social change.

I entered the academic job market during the Great Recession and was very grateful to find my way to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), where I am now an Associate Professor of Sociology and Gerontology in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health and the UMB/UMBC Doctoral Program in Gerontology. I served as Undergraduate Program Director from 2013 to 2024. In 2022, I relaunched and renamed the Center for Health, Equity, & Aging (CHEA) and became its director. I also created and direct our Student Mentoring and Research Training (SMaRT) Scholars Program, which provides students with opportunities to conduct research with faculty.

Most recently, my team received funding from the National Institute on Aging to establish the Southern Population Aging Research Center (SPARC), which I co-direct. Through SPARC, we support research aimed at improving the lives of older adults in the U.S. South, a topic especially close to home for me. Finally, my interest in learning about different societies and cultures has taken me to East Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania, Europe, the Middle East, and South America (some photos below!).