Areas of Specialization
Mixed Methods Research, Friendship, STEM Identity, Social Networks
About Me
I’m currently working on my PhD at UNL and pursuing the Mixed Methods Research Graduate Certificate. I received my MA from UNL in the Spring of 2019. I’m a Nebraskan local who graduated from Doane University in 2017. As an undergraduate triple major in pre-law, sociology, and Spanish, I was unsure what avenue I would take after graduation. However, after getting the opportunity to intern at the university's Social And Behavioral Sciences Research Consortium in my final semester of undergrad, I was able to connect with faculty and see the many possibilities for innovative research at Nebraska, as well as a focus on student success.
After graduating, I’ve continued my work at SCSRC, serving as both a research assistant for the university's faculty throughout grant workshops, program evaluation, and the NIH Worlds of Connections grant. I also have partnered with Lincoln Public Schools as a research assistant on STEM participation.
Additionally, I’ve conducted my own research. My master’s thesis focused on science identity and social networks and examined how friendships can foster science identity among middle school students (and how this may vary by gender). My Ph.D. research uses mixed methods (social network analysis and in-depth interviews) to investigate close friendship throughout the life course. I am currently collecting data for the project.
In my time at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, I have also been privileged to spark student’s sociological curiosity through teaching recitations, social research classes, and assisting undergraduates in lab settings. I have experience teaching in-person and online. My love of sociology began in the classroom and I am passionate about sharing sociology with others.
During my free time, I enjoy haunting the many coffee shops of Lincoln, bike commuting with my impractical beach cruiser, rock climbing, yoga, traveling, and enjoying nature.
Courses Taught
Instructor of Record:
- Social Research II: Statistics, online and in-person (Fall 2019, Fall 2021, Spring 2022)
- Juvenile Delinquency, online (Fall 2020)
Recitation Instructor:
- Introduction to Sociology, online and in-person (Fall 2017, Spring 2018/19, Spring 2021)
Lab and Teaching Assistant:
- Undergraduate Research Methods, in-person (Fall 2018)