Assistant Professor, Musicology MTSU Affiliation with IWS: Graduate Certificate and GTA Tell us about your current work: I am an Assistant Professor of Musicology at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN. There, I teach music history courses that cover topics about music from all over the world. The primary courses I teach include the history of western art music, the history of American popular music, and the World of Music. In addition to teaching, I am also the program coordinator for the Bachelor of Arts in Music degree. I also serve as the artistic director for our premiere faculty ensemble, the Stones River Chamber Players. This academic year, I will apply to become an affiliate faculty member of the MTSU Women's and Gender Studies Program. How has your Women's Studies experience shaped your life and work post graduation? I have been able to travel the world thanks to the work required of me in my Women's Studies classes. I've been to numerous national and international conferences, presenting on topics I researched for my Women's Studies classes. My last elective for my Women's Studies Certificate was Professor Marla Carlson's course on laughter. For that class, I studied laughter and sexual violence in opera, and the paper I wrote turned into two conference presentations--one in Italy and an upcoming conference in Germany! What are your favorite memories from your time in Women's Studies at UGA? Courses, professors, events? One of my favorite memories from Women's Studies at UGA is Peggy McIntosh's visit to campus and her talk to a packed auditorium of students, faculty, and community members. Peggy McIntosh's "Invisible Knapsack" paper is practically required reading for any Women's Studies class. Instead of simply explaining the knapsack, she focused on the evolution of her initial theories and ideas published in that pivotal work. In short, she described the importance of seeking out new information and learning from a broad range of people to continue updating, revising, and developing scholarship and research in Women's Studies. It's hard to single out one individual because the entire faculty, staff, and students/colleagues are incredible. However, there are several key figures, both former and current members of the IWS, to whom I will be forever indebted: Dr. Nicole Ray, Dr. Juanita Johnson-Bailey, Dr. Patricia Richards, Dr. Cecilia Herles, Dr. Susan Thomas, Dr. Tricia Lootens, Dr. Pat Del Ray, Terri Lynn Hatfield, Cj Komp, Elise Robinson. Trust me, this list can keep going.... Any advice for current Women's Studies students (graduate or undergraduate)? Hang on to the friends and colleagues you make in this program. They will be continual sources of inspiration and strength as you forge your path in the world. Yes, I am speaking from experience!
