I am a Professor of Psychology at the College of Charleston and recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Teaching Award. My expertise is in human cognition, aging, and intellectual disability, and I teach courses on memory, cognition, and aging. I am a graduate of Furman University (BA) and Duke University (PhD), and have taught at the University of Arizona as well as the College of Charleston. My research is aimed at developing strategies and interventions that optimize cognitive performance and outcomes, especially for populations who may experience cognitive challenges (e.g., older adults, individuals with intellectual disabilities). I have examined an array of factors that affect cognition, including circadian rhythms, emotion, curiosity, and educational settings. My recent work explores biases that affect people with Down syndrome and autism in both health care and employment.I am an advocate for inclusive communities that foster collaboration and interdependence among people of all abilities. I helped initiate two educational programs that support students with and without disabilities to learn together - one secondary and one postsecondary. I currently serve on the National Accreditation Team for Inclusive Postsecondary Education. I am also a Governor-appointed Board Member for Disability Rights South Carolina and a recent graduate of the Diversity Leadership Initiative offered by the Riley Institute at Furman University. You can read more about my work on inclusive communities at: https://today.charleston.edu/2024/01/29/professors-passion-is-all-through-grace/.I co-author a regular teaching column for the Observer, a flagship periodical of the Association of Psychological Science, and I enjoy writing about science for the popular press, including Scientific American: Mind Matters and The Conversation.