| Bio: |
Currently I'm the Social Sciences regional department chair and an associate professor at the Gary campus in Region One. I teach both on campus and online. Courses I teach are Introductory Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Drugs and Human Behavior (online) and soon Health Psychology (online).
My path to the world of behavioral sciences began in my 20's as a stay-at-home mom who watched The Phil Donahue show each day. Mr. Donahue's talk show was full of solid social topics. The more I watched the more I wanted to partake in social change and helping people with their personal issues. Once my children where in school full-time, so was Mom. That was over 25 years ago. Today I am a proud graduate of Purdue Calumet from which I earned my Bachelor's of Arts in sociology (with distinction) and from Valparaiso University's Master's of Arts in applied behavioral sciences (psychology). I also have certifications and training in life coaching and hypnotherapy. Prior to joining the Ivy Tech family, my therapeutic skills were utilized in mental health facilities, substance abuse recovery settings, elementary school social work, and my own private practice.
Because of my trainings in life coaching and other transpersonal types of therapy techniques, I am humanistic in my approach and I am very interested in the new area of psychology, positive psychology, being researched by Dr. Martin Seligman and his team at the University of Pennsylvania.
In my spare time away from campus, I enjoy life with my silly cat, Molly . I enjoy spending time with my children and grandchildren, movies, travel, cooking, working out and walking 5K races. I'm an avid reader of good mysteries, self-help books, and inspirational materials. And, I'm strangely fascinated with pirates.
I believe in living each day to its fullest! One of my favorite quotes: "Dance as if no one is watching, sing as if no one is listening, work like you don't need the money, and love as if you've never been hurt." |
