What do you consider your hometown?
I grew up in Hendersonville, Tennessee, just north of Nashville.
Where did you earn your undergraduate degree and what was it in?
I received my undergraduate degree in mathematics and physics from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee.
What is your graduate degree in?
My PhD and MA degrees are in mathematics.
Why is your area of research? What inspired you to pursue this research?
My research is in computational and statistical inverse problems with a focus in developing tools for image reconstruction with uncertainty quantification.
Bayesian inference, one of the primary approaches used in addressing statistical inverse problems, is fascinating to me. It provides a mathematical framework to answer the question, "How do I change my beliefs when presented with new information?"
This is a question that everyone has to answer for themselves on a daily basis. Being able to quantify this notion and leverage it to address problems across many scientific disciplines is one of the primary reasons I chose to pursue this avenue of research.
What does it mean to you to receive the Guarini Teaching Award?
I am honored and humbled to receive the Guarini Teaching Award.
I am privileged to have had amazing role models in my own college educators, especially Professors Sam Stueckle and Stephanie Cawthorne at Trevecca.
The pedagogical training and faculty mentorship I have received at Dartmouth have continued to form and shape my approach to teaching. I plan to take the lessons I have learned with me for the rest of my career and to never stop learning how to best serve my students.
What do you like best about teaching?
My favorite part about teaching is seeing my students grow and succeed. College courses are tough, and for many, math classes are some of the toughest. I love engaging with students, both in class and during office hours, and watching as they develop their own understanding of the material.
I have had the privilege of mentoring several students in research, and my favorite moments come when I see the students I work with take ownership of their work through their writing, in research meetings, and when presenting their research to others.
Why did you choose Dartmouth for your degree?
One of the reasons I first applied to Dartmouth was because of the emphasis the Mathematics Department places not just on research, but teaching as well.
I participated in an REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) at Lafayette College in the summer of my junior year, and one of the faculty members, Jonathan Bloom, was an alumni of the Dartmouth Mathematics PhD program.
When I heard him discuss the close-knit nature of the department as well as the care and attention paid to pedagogical training, I knew I wanted to go here.
What do you like best about Dartmouth?
I most appreciate the support and encouragement from the faculty at Dartmouth, especially those I have taken courses or conducted research with in the Mathematics Department and at the Thayer School of Engineering.
I have received thoughtful feedback from the professors for whom I have been a teaching assistant and from my teaching mentors and evaluation committee members. Receiving this feedback from so many members of the department has helped me form a cohesive and thoughtful approach to teaching, and I am deeply appreciative of that.
