ABOUT | portfolio

I am a Professor of Education and Affiliate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cincinnati. I am also President-Elect of the Ohio Valley Philosophy of Education Society, Past-President of the John Dewey Society and Co-Editor of the journal, Democracy & Education. As a philosopher of education, I use political philosophy to uncover problems in education and democracy, analyze educational policy, and envision better alternatives. I am especially interested in issues of political agency, youth civic engagement, and educating for democracy in schools.

I recently completed a report on the state of civic reasoning and discourse for the National Academy of Education. It describes recent struggles to work across competing beliefs and identities in polarized America and how we might better prepare students for participating in good civic discourse through schools and universities. I also prepared a commissioned report on the future of civics education for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

My current projects analyze the role of polarization, populism, political dissent, and honesty in American civic life, especially in light of political rancor, conspiracy theories, and fake news. I am envisioning improved citizenship education that better enables students to navigate political divides and to more effectively engage in civic inquiry to solve social and political problems.

My latest book Learning How to Hope: Reviving Democracy through Schools and Civil Society (Oxford University Press, 2020), responds to current struggles in democracy. It explains what hope is, why it matters to democracy, and how we can teach it in schools, universities, and civil society. The book received an open access grant making it free for all to download.

I have received the University of New Hampshire Outstanding Professor award and the University of Cincinnati Distinguished Teaching and Golden Apple awards. My teaching and mentorship have been recognized with the Jack Twyman Award for service learning and the Sarah Grant Barber Award for student advising. I am also the recipient of the American Association of University Women Postdoctoral Research Fellowship and the National Endowment for the Humanities Teaching Development Fellowship and Summer Stipend. I received the James and Helen Merritt Distinguished Award for Philosophy of Education.

Additional information and copies of some of my publications can be found on Academia.edu and ResearchGate.