Researcher
My primary work focuses on the impact of popular culture - particularly sports and leisure - on the construction and re-imagination of identities across the Americas in the 20th century. In particular, I focus on soccer in Argentina, a topic that often serves as an accessible way to discuss political events, human rights, and gender and class dynamics. Other areas of research interest center on how new technologies are re-shaping how we research, learn, produce, and, above all, teach history.
Educator
I have the privilege of working with history majors and future social studies educators, helping to expose them to a variety of instructional approaches. In my courses, we discuss chronological, thematic or even hybrid approaches to designing curriculum for a history course. We also explore the potential of digital tools to transform the history classroom. I also teach courses in the following areas: sports history, modern Latin America, and digital history.
Administrator
As a History Education director at Appalachian State University, I oversee runs one of the largest history/social studies education programs in North Carolina, with over 150 history majors focused on teaching in secondary schools. My goal is to produce graduates who are confident in their knowledge of the past, skilled at teaching history, and ready to incorporate digital tools and a global focus in the classroom.
