I am a public cultural historian of advertising and its place in society and culture. My scholarship focuses on preserving and sharing histories of advertising within and beyond the United States, with a significant focus on disability and accessibility.

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Before coming to Michigan State University, I held positions at the Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute, Duke University (Cultural Anthropology and Innovation & Entrepreneurship), American University (School of International Service), and the University of California, Berkeley (Media Studies). Since 2016, I have been an editor (currently Coeditor) of Advertising & Society Quarterly, an academic journal focused on advertising’s relationship to society, culture, history, and the economy.

 

I work closely with the Advertising Educational Foundation in New York to develop educational programs that build bridges between academia and industry. I recently co-spearheaded the creation of SeeHer's open-access certificate on gender and advertising. I have received a National Endowment for the Humanities Digital Humanities Advancement Grant and numerous awards recognizing my excellence in teaching and mentoring. In 2023 and 2024, I served on a committee of disability experts assisting Travel Michigan within the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to select close to $1 million in accessible traveler grants for communities across Michigan. 

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I am currently a co-Faculty Advisor to Tower Guard, one of Michigan State University's oldest honor societies that works with the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) to support and provide allyship for students with disabilities. I was a Tower Guard member during my undergraduate studies at MSU. I earned my PhD in Communication from the University of Michigan, MA in International and Intercultural Communication from the University of Denver, and BA in International Relations and French from Michigan State University.

When not spoiling six cats and trying to get home to the remote forests of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, I enjoy "just one more coffee" or the ultimate vice known as The Golden Girls.