What do you remember most from your educational journey and how has that shaped your teaching?

The most impactful experiences from my educational journey were opportunities to develop skills and methods outside of my primary area of study, often from my classmates and professors. I originally did my undergraduate degree in Design, and these opportunities guided me through my early interdisciplinary career explorations, eventually leading to my current role as a professor of English.

How does what you do in the classroom reflect the impact that your field has on the world?

Well-designed tools, whether for analyzing texts or improving writing, have the power to influence current practices and challenge established norms. In the classroom, I encourage students to critically examine current practices in their area of interest, and explore ways to rethink traditional tools and innovate in new approaches.

What are some memorable projects you’ve had students do and how do they reflect your goals as an educator?

One of the projects in Coding for Humanists asks students to write a program that compares two corpora of distinct types of texts—ranging from historical news articles to marketing materials and product reviews. The goal of this project is to encourage students to expand their thinking about textual artifacts and explore new questions they might not have considered before. Every year, I am fascinated by the range of unique projects that students from diverse backgrounds and interests come up with.

What one piece of advice would you give your students?

One piece of advice I often give my students is not to be afraid of trying new things, even if they feel hesitant about it (e.g., taking a challenging course outside of your comfort zone). I also encourage attending lectures and presentations that students may initially find uninteresting. These explorations expand your thinking and often lead to new and exciting things to try next.