A rationale and reflection about this space

It took me a long time to decide what I want to show and publish in this web portfolio space. My brief sojourn in graduate school has shown me that academics are meant to be serious. And I try to play their games. But that’s just not me and it’s hard to contain my excitement for what I do. Because most academics expect a certain level of seriousness (I think sometimes it’s called professionalism?), I selected muted, subtle colors and plain backgrounds for this site. This is difficult for me because I like color and dynamism. Like a lot. Let me share an example: when we were repainting our house, one of my student’s mothers, an interior designer, offered us a free color consultation. She walked around the house with her gigantic stack of paint chips held before her, attempting to divine the perfect match. She eventually suggested a neutral, like gray, because “you are so colorful you need an understated background.” So, there you go.

My design is simple, and I want the content to make up for what the design lacks.

Like everyone, I am also a nuanced individual, so it was additionally difficult to make decisions about what to show and what I could share without penalty^*. I selected here those items most relevant to my academic profile, but, like I tell my students of my goals for them, I want to be “cocktail party smart and interesting,” a wunderkammer of curiosities, questions, and knowledge.

I am excited for you to learn more about me and to start a conversation if you’re interested in connecting.

^*thank you to my digital rhetorics classmate for phrasing the question in this way