I am an Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Professionally, I am committed to education, human development, and social justice. I approach my role as an educator with the belief that every person deserves a chance to access the resources necessary to participate fully in society. This process begins with the person forming and developing a critical awareness of themselves and others in an increasingly diverse and complex society. Therefore, I view communication as a constitutive element for personal and societal development. I infuse my pedagogy with the four Es of teaching: Expertise, Enthusiasm, Empowerment, and Empathy. I seek to accomplish this goal by maintaining an up-to-date and challenging curriculum, demonstrating passion for what I teach, setting high expectations, helping learners reach those expectations, and fostering a supportive communication climate.My research focuses on significant relationships between communication, social identity (e.g., race, ethnicity, social class, and immigration status), and power dynamics. Specifically, I examine how macro, meso, and micro-level communication practices create, conserve, and challenge institutional systems of discrimination, oppression, and inequity. My research has appeared in Liminalities: A Journal of Performance Studies, Management Communication Quarterly, Inter/Cultural Communication: Representation and Construction of Culture in Everyday Interaction, and the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice. I earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Organizing and Intercultural Communication from the University of Colorado; a Master of Science in Interpersonal Communication from Florida State University; and a Bachelor of Science in Professional & Technical Communication from the Rochester Institute of Technology.