Santa Clara University

I have studied and taught courses that cover the entirety of American history, but I am particularly drawn to the 19th and 20th centuries. My research has focused on religion, gender, and children while my teaching adds an interest of the media as well. I am interested in the role of “everyday” people - how they experienced and shaped our nation. I am inspired by those who challenge the obstacles they face and seek to better understand them. My current research builds upon my PhD dissertation, “Perfect Child, Perfect Faith: Raising Children in Nineteenth-Century Religious Communities,” focusing on the work of the radical abolitionists who settled in Berea, Kentucky.  I currently teach courses on the urban landscape and recent turbulent periods in the 20th and 21st century