EDUCATION

  • Ph.D. in Geography (social science), The Ohio State University (2021)
  • M.A. in Geography (social science), University of Georgia (2016)
  • B.A. in Community Studies, University of California Santa Cruz (2007)

WORK

  • 2024-current Department Head, Fashion Design, Pacific Design Academy
  • 2021-2024 Writing Coach
  • 2021-2022 Research Analyst at Schulhof and Associates (contract)
  • 2016-2021 Deans Distinguished University Fellow (concurrent with PhD studies)
  • 2014-2016 Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellow in Portuguese (concurrent with MA studies)
  • 2012-2014 Graduate Student Success Coach for online students at the Academy of Art University
  • 2008-2012 Stitcher and apprentice Painter/Dyer, Portland Opera Costume Shop

TRAININGS AND CERTIFICATIONS

  • 2024 Deque University – Accessibility Fundamentals: Disabilities, Guidelines and Laws certificate
  • 2024 LinkedIn Learning – Project Management Foundations certificate
  • 2022 Nielsen Norman UX Research Certification (#1061066) I averaged 97% on the exit exams. The courses I took for certification were:

    • UX Basic Training,

    • Usability Testing,

    • Discoveries: Building the Right Thing,

    • User Research Methods: from Strategy to Requirements to Design,

    • and Writing Compelling Digital Copy

  • 2019 Completed the PhD summer intensive hosted by the Community Economies Strategic Initiative at Western Sydney University, NSW Australia.
  • 2017 Completed first year Khmer at the Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute at the University of Wisconsin, Madison
  • 2015 American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages: Oral Proficiency Interview certification at the Intermediate-mid level in Portuguese

SKILLS

  • UX research: emphasis on qualitative research methods including field studies, interviews, diary studies, focus groups, ethnography and mixed-methods. Proficient in Qualtrics, UserTesting and Lyssna.
  • Teaching: curriculum design, presentations/talks/lectures, facilitating group discussions, public speaking
  • Writing: professional writing, storytelling, communicating complex ideas to a general audience, crafting engaging web copy
  • Design: WordPress content management, Adobe Illustrator, Miro, Trello, Canva, knowledge of color theory and basic design principles

AWARDS

  • 2020 AAG Political Geography Specialty Group Alexander B. Murphy Dissertation Award – a national U.S. award in political geography
  • 2020 Ohio State University Council of Graduate Students Career Development Grant – a university-wide competition
  • 2019-2020 Rayner Fieldwork Scholarship
  • 2016-2020 Dean’s Distinguished University Fellowship (full tuition waiver and living stipend)
  • 2017 Khmer language nominee for the Usha Mahajani Award for excellence in language learning
  • 2017 Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute (SEASSI) at the University of Wisconsin scholarship (full tuition waiver and living stipend)
  • 2015-2016 Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship in Portuguese (full tuition waiver and living stipend)

ACADEMIC RESEARCH INTERESTS

  • Legal geographies
  • The anti-trafficking movement
  • Power dynamics in “real” versus virtual space

ACADEMIC RESEARCH

  • 2019-2020 Doctoral dissertation: Original mixed-methods research aimed at understanding the impact of U.S. federal anti-trafficking legislation SESTA/FOSTA.
    • Qualitative: 38 in-person, semi-structured interviews with members of vulnerable populations in San Francisco
    • Quantitative: designed, circulated and analyzed the results of a large-scale, anonymous Qualtrics survey available in English, Spanish, Mandarin and Cantonese
  • 2015-2016 Masters thesis: Original archival research on anti-trafficking legislation in the United States

SELECTED PUBLIC SPEAKING

  • 2024 Dr. Sew and Sew – creative nonfiction story performed at Confabulation (a live storytelling event); Victoria, BC
  • 2023 DAREing – reprised at the Best of Confabulation show; Victoria, BC
  • 2022 DAREing – creative nonfiction story performed at Confabulation; Victoria, BC
  • 2021 “Dimidiate Consent” paper accepted to the annual meeting of the American Studies Association [virtual]
  • 2021 Presented “Understanding the Impact of SESTA/FOSTA in the United States” at the Canadian Association of Geographers Annual Meeting [virtual]
  • 2020 Colloquium Speaker in the Geography Department at the Ohio State University, presented “The Impact of SESTA/FOSTA in San Francisco”; Columbus, OH
  • 2019 Invited guest lecturer in Human Geography, presented “The State, Labor and the Consent Gap” (GEOG 2400) at the Ohio State University; Columbus, OH
  • 2018 Invited guest lecturer in Human Geography, presented “Anti-Trafficking and the Gender of Rescue” (GEOG 2400) at the Ohio State University; Columbus, OH
  • 2018 Moderated the panel discussion on abolition at the Naming (In)Justice: Rights and Resistance Across Queer Migrations and Trafficking, the Ohio State University; Columbus, OH
  • 2016 Presented “Engaging Potentially Hostile Audiences” at the Desiree Alliance Conference; New Orleans, LA
  • 2015 Spoke on The Graduate Panel: How to Apply and What to Expect at the University of Georgia; Athens, GA
  • 2014 Invited guest lecturer in Introduction to Human Geography presented “Anti-Trafficking and Immigration Policy” (GEOG 1101) at the University of Georgia; Athens, GA

TEACHING

  • 2018 GEOG 2100 teaching assistantship under Dr. Max Woodworth
  • 2019 GEOG 2100 teaching assistantship under Dr. Mathew Coleman

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

  • 2020-2021 Founder and facilitator of the Central Ohio Anti-Racist Reading Group (a monthly discussion group with a year-long curriculum of anti-racist texts)
  • 2020 Developed and led a virtual workshop called Making (or not) During a Pandemic: the Role of Grief in the Creative Process for the Central Ohio Modern Quilt Guild
  • 2020 Charity Chair of the Central Ohio Modern Quilt Guild partnering with Camp Kesem to make 200 “memory bags” for children who have lost a parent to cancer [then hundreds of cloth masks during the pandemic]
  • 2017-2019 Organizer of the OSU Geography Women’s Writing Retreat

SERVICE

  • 2017-2018 President of the Ohio State University Geography Graduate Organization
  • 2016-2017 Secretary of the Ohio State University Geography Graduate Organization

AFFILIATIONS

  • 2021-2022 Member of the Canadian Association of Geographers
  • 2020-2021 Member of the American Studies Association
  • 2014-2021 Member of the American Association of Geographers