American scholar, educator, and activist.
Scholarship
Throughout my scholarship, I have sought to establish authentic collaboration with community partners and key interest-holders to promote pragmatic, yet transformative solutions to the multiple marginalization experienced by disabled individuals and their families throughout their lifetime. My research praxis focuses on critically examining the systemic social, environmental, and political forces governing accessibility to sport and physical activity as well as capturing the seen and unseen influences of “society” on individual actions. Using a pragmatic ontology and radical epistemology, I situate my work within ‘DisCrit’ scholarship—engaging both qualitative and quantitative methods—to produce research that closely aligns with the self-identified community needs so that individuals have greater agency in their physical pursuits and practitioners can better provide equal opportunities to community members at the intersection of multiple marginalization.
Recent
Journal Articles
Books & Book Chapters
Presentations
Pedagogy
In the essay, “We Make the Road By Walking”, Paolo Freire posits that educators possess a moral imperative to refrain from rmaining neutral. I am resolute in my commitment to instilling in my students fundamental skills such as creative problem-solving, self-reflection, and critical analysis of their environment. I do so with honesty and transparency. To me, ‘not maintaining neutrality’ implies that I will equip my students with the knowledge and understanding necessary to confront the realities of the world that they are inheriting. I strive to provide my students with broad perspectives on the concepts discussed in class; yet, I ground those discussions in empirical evidence, scientific principles, and practical applications.
As an educator, however, I recognize that my role extends beyond mere information dissemination. Learning is a collaborative endeavor, and the learning environment is a co-created space; a tenet that I carry through my teaching and mentoring practices. I have consistently been drawn to the challenges of the pedagogical process, the praxis of learning, as well as the inherent uniqueness of each day that is associated with being in an educational setting. Summarily, my educational philosophy and pedagogical practices can be characterized as a “punk pedagogy”; a praxis rooted in: (1) critical assessments of policies and practices; (2) a self-reliant ethos and a preference for action; and (3) a radical acceptance of diversity and a desire to build space for others to be their authentic selfs. In conjunction with the challenges inherent in instructing students from diverse backgrounds and experiences, this intellectual demand further intensifies my passion for educating and mentoring individuals who will become future global leaders. I have discovered that harnessing this diversity within the classroom not only enhances my teaching capabilities but also facilitates a deeper, more lasting learning experience for my students.
Courses
Mentorship
