I've been an instructor at The University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, since 1997 (I was also a TA here for a couple of years before that). I teach entry-level courses in the Department of Mathematics, including College Algebra, and Calculus, among others. I currently serve as the department's TA Coordinator. I organize training for new Graduate Teaching Assistants each Fall, help facilitate the TA teaching class (Math 597t), and am currently developing a TA mentoring program with the help of several experienced instructors.
I grew up in Minnesota (Go Vikings!!), and I have enjoyed math almost all my life (ask me sometime about my third grade math class . . .). However, I didn't decide that I wanted to teach math at the college level until I was a student at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota (now known as Bethel University). After graduating from Bethel with a degree in math and a minor in physics, I set out for Tucson to pursue a PhD at the U of A math department. Well, I found a wonderful husband, Andrew, instead of a PhD, and found that I would rather devote my time to teaching than research. Andy and I have been married for 11 years. Last year, we adopted a really sweet little dog, Cocoa.
Andy & I are currently working on building a new home; the picture on my main page is taken from the land we are building on. We're excited about the great views!
Here is a picture of us celebrating our anniversary
Here's a picture of Cocoa
Though I enjoy math very much, I do actually have other interests! Andy and I enjoy lots of outdoor activities including working in our garden, hiking, and camping (particularly in the BWCA in northern Minnesota - one of the most beautiful places on earth--click here for a site with nice pictures!). In Tucson, some of our favorite attractions include:
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
I also love photography, skiing, traveling, going out to nice restaurants, reading, and volunteering (including singing up front) at my church, la aldea. (check it out sometime - it's not your typical church!) While I am really excited about the kind of community la aldea is becoming, Jesus and His way of relating to others are most important - more important than any particular church or set of beliefs. He is the reason I want to help others as a teacher. ("This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." I John 4:10-11)