About

I grew up in North Florida in a military family. My mother taught English as a second language, so I was also exposed early on to people from different countries and cultures. I attended the University of Florida, where I studied archaeology and worked in shelters. Those experiences eventually led me toward sociology and an interest in social relationships, isolation, and how people navigate change. I went on to study sociology at North Carolina State University, concentrating in family/life course and globalization/social change.

I entered the academic job market during the Great Recession and was very grateful to land at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). 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 gives students 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 focused on improving the lives of older adults in the U.S. South, work that feels especially meaningful given where I grew up.

Outside of work, I have always enjoyed learning about other places and cultures. That interest has taken me to East Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania, Europe, the Middle East, and South America, with a few photos below!